


Rough Times

by YearwalktheWorld



Category: Daredevil (TV), Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, DareDevil will only be in around 4 chapter i promise, Dead Aunt May, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, I tried to keep it to minimal spoilers, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter is like 12 in the beginning, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony adopts Peter, Young Peter Parker, but he's in there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-04-24 22:00:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 30,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14364588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YearwalktheWorld/pseuds/YearwalktheWorld
Summary: Peter is my son,Tony signed to the scientist. The man's forehead creased in confusion, eyes quizzical as he turned to look at the boy playing Monopoly with several others.I don't understand,he signed back.You didn't have any children before?Tony smiled at him, still keeping a careful watch on his child.It’s a long story, he began.But I like to tell it, if you'll listen.I'll listen, Bruce signed back, both men smirking slightly at the use of the word listen. Neither could remember the sound of each others voices by then.It started in Queens, Tony began. Peter turned and read his father's hands.And then he listened also.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest first chapter I've ever written. 
> 
> I would like to thank my sister for reading this and giving me the title of this fanfic, I'm grateful for everything you do Kai. 
> 
> Anyways yeah, new fan fiction which will hopefully actually be finished this time round. Also the A Quiet Place stuff is what its working up to, beginning and such are gonna be leading up the scene in the blurb. 
> 
> Anyways thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy :)

The world hadn't always been so silent for everyone. 

There was a time when people spoke freely, when they wore shoes and where they were not afraid of noise. It was not long ago, but it felt like a long time to Peter. 

It felt like a lifetime, an eon since he hadn't been afraid to simply open his mouth and say something, anything to his dad. A lifetime of silent gestures, of taps on his forehead translating to I Love You and hands clamped over his mouth at night as he desperately tried not to scream. 

And even fuzzier - sound itself. Something that wasn't necessarily something Peter could remember, but he could remember not not hearing. It was odd, to know what once was something he took for granted was now gone, not even the cochlear implants his dad desperately tinkered with in hopes to make them work once more able to restore anything for him. 

There was also once a time where Peter had been sure his dad could defeat any evil he was up against, any monster and any threat in there way. He couldn't comprehend that there would ever be a time where his dad would not fight, instead crouching with him in fear and panic while the enemy stalked around them. 

There was not a time that Peter had ever thought he would see his dad so scared, but that time was now. 

~~~~  
_Before_

Spiderman was young. Way too young. 

He had wide eyes and windswept hair that was in need of a trim, features that betrayed youth below the age of thirteen. A child's face that looked that open and trusting definitely made Tony want to call off his whole plan. 

“Peter, look who's here to see you!” May said, only the upturning of her lips betraying the excitement she felt. And then Tony felt even more like a piece of shit when the kids eyes got bigger and his face broke into a wide grin at him. 

“To see me? Wow that's awesome!” The kid cried out, almost ripping his backpack off in anticipation. “What for?” 

“Well there's a very special opportunity for you it seems,” May began. She grinned at Tony who grimaced back. Since when did the whole world decide to guilt trip the man? All he wanted was for this Spiderman (more like Spiderkid,) to have been about five years older, but beggars can't be choosers.

“Mr. Stark noticed your test scores and contacted me about a special overnight trip tomorrow.” The kid looked at him with wide eyes, passion showing through every feature. 

“A field trip to Stark Industries.” Tony lied straight through his teeth to the kid and his aunt. “Just something to get the kid geniuses into my company you know?” 

“So like science stuff? I love science!” Peter blurted out. “And with other science kids and a real lab - I've heard your company has a lot of those, not that I research it - I mean I do but not obsessively you know? That would be weird, and I'm not we-” 

“I get it kid.” Tony said, running a hand through his hair. Okay, so he wished Peter was about five years older and eighty percent less rambly and anxious. 

“It'd be overnight, a couple of days.” Tony said casually, before turning to speak to May. “Chaperoned of course, by scientists and engineers and just all those types of geniuses. Really important people who can help kids like Peter get their foot in the door early.” 

“It’s amazing that you sought him out Mr. Stark,” May said sincerely. “Peter’s always had such a passion for science.” 

“Yeah I love science Mr. Stark!” Peter piped in. “It’s my favorite subject in school - I mean you must know that since you came because of my tests, how did you see those by the way? Not that I mind! But I thought they weren't supposed to be used for individual evaluation, you know -” 

“I'm rich kid,” Tony said tiredly. “Money opens a lot of closed doors.” 

“Peter's obviously interested Mr. Stark.” May said. “I'm sure it'll be a great experience for him.” 

Oh shit, for a second Tony almost believed his own lie. He still needed to actually get the kid - Spiderkid that is, - on board with the real plan. 

“Do you mind if I speak to Peter privately?” Tony asked her. “Just to gauge what he's interested in and that sort of stuff.” He added quickly when he saw May frown. 

“Okay,” she said, shrugging once Peter nodded enthusiastically. 

“It'll just be a couple of minutes,” he promised as he stood up to follow the kid into what was presumably his room. “To see what he's into, science wise.” 

Once they were in the kids room Tony shut the door quickly, surveying around before his eyes landed on the crawlspace on the roof of his room. No doubt that's where Peter hid his costume. 

“I'm really honored that you wanna send me on this trip sir,” Peter said, grinning so wide Tony was worried his face would break. “You're like my hero! You're so awesome and this is awesome I really _really_ love science I can't believe I have this opportunity!” 

“Yeah yeah kid,” Tony said, taking a seat in the ripped apart chair in the corner of Peter's room. “That's very nice and all that.” 

“I'm interested in all types of science too Mr. Stark,” he continued to babble. “I really can't choose what's my favorite but I do really like biology but also engineering - is that science? I mean I hope you'll let me work on that I like making stuff, just like you! Oh this is so cool -” 

“Okay yes, yes Peter let's consider it science.” Tony interjected if only to get the kid to take a breath. “Now let me ask you something.” 

The kid nodded, so hard and fast that Tony almost feared he had whiplash. Now was time to switch gears, to let Peter knew that he knew about Spiderman (Spiderkid he corrected in his mind) and that he needed his help and all that. 

“Kid, how old are you?” Tony asked. He knew the answer, no matter what it was, would be far too young for an Avenger let alone the vigilante the boy claimed to be, but when you're desperate you're desperate.

And besides, it wouldn't be like he was really in the fight. He would just be there to stack the numbers and to keep Cap at bay with a kid watching. 

“Eleven, my birthday is soon though!” 

Ouch, that was fucking young. Well, if Peter wanted to play vigilante, it was only responsible of Tony to call him out on it. 

“Wow, that's pretty young to be patrolling the streets, huh?” Tony said. “Shouldn't they call you like, Spiderkid instead of man?” 

There was a beat of silence as they both looked at each other, Peter in some type of stunned silence and Tony in anticipation. 

“W-what?” Peter stuttered out. His face had gone bright red at the accusation. “I dunno what you're talking about Mr. Stark, I thought I was going on a field tr-” 

“Oh you'll still be going on a field trip Spiderman,” Tony drawled. “Just a bit farther than my tower and not as many people. Now show me your suit - if you could call it that from what I've seen.” 

The kids face wrinkled at the idea, one hand drifting towards his face as if he were trying to hide how bad of a liar he was. 

“Isn't me, that isn't me Mr. Stark,” he said. Tony sighed and stood up then, eyes and fingers pointed at the crawlspace. 

“So you're telling me if I open that up, a Spiderkid costume isn't gonna come crashing down?” 

Peter's face had turned pale, color draining fast as he shook his head as fast as he could. Tony raised an eyebrow at him even as everything in him was telling him to stop and back off. It wasn't fair to bring such a young kid into the Avengers issues and by forcing him to reveal his identity, Tony would do just that. 

But on the other hand, if Tony was right and Peter really was Spiderman, then it was basically his responsibility to stop the kid. Not only would it be terrible if the kid got hurt, if anyone found out who Peter was and what Tony wanted him to do, it would be more than just a shitload of bad press. He'd probably be charged with child endangerment. 

“What? Cat got your tongue?” he remarked. Peter remained frozen, head shaking no slightly as he continued to stare at Tony. 

“That's not…” he trailed off and Tony ground his teeth together when he saw the tears start to build in the boys eyes. 

“Hey kid, don't cry.” Tony said awkwardly, hands up in defense. “I don't, I don't like it when people cry.” 

“I didn't want to let anyone know,” Peter hiccuped, now with tears spilling down his cheek. “I don't want anyone to know Mr. Stark!” 

“Okay, okay,” Tony said, rushing to say anything to make the kid stop crying. “Okay yeah this is probably scary then huh?” 

Peter nodded slowly, taking a seat on his bed and wiping at his eyes. “I don't want anyone to get hurt because they know I'm Spiderman.” he mumbled. 

“Spiderkid,” Tony corrected under his breath. “Why would anyone get hurt Peter?” 

“Because if one person knows, they'll tell someone else and then they tell someone and it goes on until everyone knows and then bad guys will try and hurt Aunt May and my friends!” Peter said, breath hitching as he spoke faster and faster. 

“But what you're forgetting,” Tony said, slowly getting up to sit by him, “is that I'm Iron Man. I'm not gonna just go telling people your identity, right?” 

Peter looked away from him for a moment, face troubled as he mulled over Tony's words. 

“Then why even ask me if I'm Spiderman?” he asked. “Why come and ask me if you're not gonna tell?” 

“Because I need your help,” Tony admitted. “For some superhero stuff...in Berlin.” 

“Berlin?” Peter said. “Where's that?” 

“It’s in Germany - but Peter don't freak out, you'd be gone four days max, I swear.” Tony said when he saw the boy's face go white. 

“I can't do that Mr. Stark,” he said. “If something happens in Queens while I'm gone it'd be my fault. And Aunt May would be all alone in New York!” 

“What if I got a security guard to trail her?” Tony asked, trying a different tactic. “To make sure she's safe?” 

“No Mr. Stark,” Peter shook his head. “She'd figure out about them. And besides, I don't wanna leave New York.” 

They sat in mutual silence after that, Peter grimacing as he watched Tony think over how to best persuade the boy. Because there was no way that Tony was leaving that god damn apartment without a promise that the kid would be on a plane to Berlin tomorrow. 

Finally Tony decided to try a different route. Get to the core of why Peter even wanted to be Spiderkid in the first place and emotionally guilt him. He wasn't exactly proud about it, but Tony got done what needed to be done. 

“Tell me kid, why do you wanna be Spiderman?” 

Peter thought for just a moment, face creasing as he did so. When he spoke the words had weight to them, as if every single one had been meticulously chosen. 

“Because I think, if you have the ability to help someone and you don't...well, then it's your fault that they got hurt.” 

“Very noble kid, very noble.” Tony said dismissively. Sure, it was nice and all that Peter wanted to help people but his words struck a chord with Steve to Tony. And he really didn't wanna be thinking about how any potential ally might be like Steve. 

“So here's the thing, yeah?” Tony began. “Now I'm the one who needs help. So you're gonna help me right? Justice and all that?” 

Peter nodded his head slowly. “That makes sense.” he said after a pause. “I wanna help everyone I can.” 

Tony breathed out in relief. “So you'll come with me then? To Berlin?” 

He watched as the kid bit his lip, brows creasing as he thought it over again. “No one's gonna die right?” he asked finally. “Not like…” 

Tony frowned as he realized what Peter was trying to reference - the building that Wanda had been responsible for. Maybe that was why the kid was so reluctant.

“No one's gonna die.” Tony said firmly. “And we're gonna make sure of that right?” Peter nodded then, less reluctant then before. 

“So you're gonna help me in Berlin kid?” he asked again, already knowing what the answer was. But it was nice to get it down just in case the kid would try and back out. 

“Yeah, I'm gonna help in Berlin Mr. Stark!” Peter said, once again smiling at his idol. It made Tony feel like shit for manipulating the kid into agreement. 

“Good, good thinking Peter.” Tony said, nodding in approval even as his stomach sank. “Just one more thing, yeah?” 

“What is it? Are there gonna be monsters? Am I gonna get scared Mr. Stark? Not that monsters scare me! I'm brave, you'll see -”

“Listen, after this no more Spiderman okay?” Tony held one hand up to shush Peter. “Look kid, I'm giving you a chance to help me. But after that, you're done.” 

“You can't make me!” Peter protested. “You're not my dad or anything like that!” Tony rolled his eyes at the kid. 

“Doesn't matter whether I'm your dad or not Spidey. Because if you don't follow what I'm telling you to do -” Tony gestured to the closed door, making Peter look too. “Aunt May is gonna get an earful of what her eleven year old nephew likes to do at night.” 

“That's not fair.” Peter groaned. His face was at least back to a normal shade, only his cheeks hot with embarrassment. “That's like blackmail.” 

“Wrong,” Tony said. “It is blackmail.” 

~~~~

It had been a long flight for Tony. 

He tried to take his mind off of what was going to happen if he didn't get Steve and his little gang of revolutionaries to come back with him, but it was a little hard when he only had 36 hours. And that had been at least 12 hours ago. 

And yes, he did feel guilty about bringing Peter into it. But what choice did he have? Besides, once Steve realized that a kid had been brought into their mess, he would probably be more apt to talk instead of fighting his way through the issue. 

He wondered briefly how Peter was, since he had never been out of Queens let alone America. Tony just hoped that the kid wasn't home sick, or regretting going with Tony. That would just make him feel even more like shit. 

Once he got to the hotel in Berlin, Tony didn't bother to check in with Peter. Not out of a disregard for the boy, more because he knew nothing about what he would say to the kid, especially if he was sad or upset. 

Which probably was the reason that during the night, the kid had melted down so hard that Happy called Tony to deal with it. 

He had been resting into an uneasy sleep when his phone rang, forcing Tony to sacrifice the little energy he had accumulated. He groaned and grabbed the phone, not ready to deal with whatever Happy had to tell him. 

“Yes?” he breathed out. There was a beat of silence on the other end, only broken by strange tinny noises in the background. 

“Tony, I got a problem.” Happy said finally. He didn't sound scared or urgent so that was definitely a plus, but it left Tony more angry than worried. Jesus Christ, it was around eleven at night and he had a massive fucking headache from what was to come. All Tony really wanted to do was get some sleep. 

“Okay, what's that?” he snapped, even as he stood up, because he knows that Happy wouldn't have called him if it was really nothing. 

“It's the kid - he's really homesick and isn't feeling well.” And then Tony could hear Peter in the background, tinny sniffles as he supposed the boy was trying to stop himself from crying. 

Tony sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. He should’ve seen it happening, taking a child away from his guardian overnight and in a different country, plopping him in his own room and expecting him to be okay. Just because Peter was Spiderman didn't mean he wasn't still a baby compared to him, Steve or literally any other Avenger ever. 

“I'll be right over. Put Peter on, okay?” Tony said. He listened tiredly as the phone was shuffled from hand to hand. 

“Tony?” Peter cried into the phone. Tony felt his heart clench as he imagined the boys tear streaked face and puffy eyes. 

“Hey Petey,” Tony started, tone remarkably gentle. “Can you tell me how you're feeling? I'm coming over right now.” He slipped on a jacket as he continued to listen to the child, turning the doorknob on his hotel room. 

“I wanna go home!” he wailed. “I miss auntie and my bed! She reads me a bedtime story and tucks me in Tony, I can't go to bed without her!” 

Tony shut the door behind him and began his brisk walk down to Peter's room. “Would it help if I did that for you?” he asked. 

He heard a couple more sniffs as Peter thought through the offer. Tony continued his walk down to the boys room, almost down his hall when he got his reply. 

“Okay. Okay, thank you Tony.” the child said, voice lightening considerably. 

“No problem kid. Now open the door for me yeah?”

~~~~

Peter had settled in quite nicely once Tony was there. 

It was evident that the kid had not been faking his cries. His cheeks were pink and looked almost swollen from effort, his eyes puffy and face still damp. It made Tony feel like a monster to have been at least an indirect cause of such a young things sadness, especially such a sweet kid like Peter. 

Tony had waved Happy away, letting the man get his own well deserved sleep while he dealt with Peter. The boy had all but clung to him when he came around, not shy about seeking affection from the man. 

It had been a bit of a shock at first, since Tony never doled out nor seeked affection from anyone really, even as a child, but it didn't stop him from wrapping one arm around the boy himself, the other finding itself in his hair. 

“Just any story okay with you Peter?” Tony asked as he sat on the bed. The kid nodded before immediately clamoring right next to him

It felt natural in the oddest way. The weight of Peters body squished up against his, as if being upright and staying that way depended entirely on how strong Tony was made him feel needed. The way the kids face found its way on his shirt, one hand up to rest on the Arc Reactor and the other on his back, the way his hair felt so soft to Tony’s hand, just the way Peter made himself unapologetically comfortable and totally reliant on Tony was unlike anything the man had ever experienced in his life. 

He imagined that was how a parent felt, because not since the whole mess with Steve had started had Tony felt as confident and in control than right then. Even if all he was doing was reading some story he had found on his phone to Peter, it was as if everything depended on it. Like maybe if he could do right by the child and get him to sleep the world would awake perfect. 

“Tony?” the whisper made him falter in his reading, instead opting to look down at the boy. 

“Can you tuck me in now?” the hands slid away from him and the weight shifted, Peter's face red from the extra heat and hair curling towards his face. Tony tried not to let go of the feeling that had overtaken him in an attempt to not feel like shit, and was surprised to find it stay. 

“Sure,” he said, moving off of the bed. “Let's get you tucked in.” Peter breathed out some mumbled thanks as he crawled off of the bed as well, hidden by a yawn that overtook the boy. 

He pulled the covers back, patting the bed awkwardly and watching as the boy crawled back in, eyes fluttering with exhaustion as he did so. Tony rolled the blanket back on Peter, making sure they were adequately covering him. 

“Okay, sleep well then.” Tony said, biting his lip as Peter mumbled some reply and turned. He ran one hand through the kids hair, watching his eyes open and close at the sensation. 

He turned to leave, ready to spend a miserable night tossing and turning. But at least Peter had been calmed down. 

Hands grabbed at him, startling Tony. He almost moved to break the grasp before realizing it could only be Peter. The boy had grabbed onto his sleeve as he made to leave, so Tony turned back to look at him. 

“Wait,” Peter breathed out sleepily. “Wait for me to sleep?” 

“Of course,” Tony said almost immediately. “Wouldn't dream otherwise.” He settled into the chair next to the bed, one eyebrow raised in mock confusion in a way that made Peter giggle.

“Goodnight Peter.” he said, one hand outstretched on the bed for the kid to grasp. He did so, small hand slightly clammy but grip tight. 

“Night Tony,” Peter mumbled back. “Have good dreams.” 

~~~~

He wasn't sure how long it had taken for Peter to fall asleep. Tony didn't even notice until the almost vice like grasp on his hand loosened and pulled away as the child turned in his sleep. 

He pulled away too then, yawned and stood up as he prepared to go back to his own room.  
Tony paused for a moment, checking to make sure the boy really was sound asleep. His face was calm then, brows relaxed and mouth slack as he breathed. 

“Good kid,” Tony said softly. “You sleep well.” 

He collapsed on his bed as soon as he made it into his room, sleep taking him almost immediately. 

~~~~

The night had been way too short, in his opinion.

When Tony had awaken, the first thing he had done was debrief with anyone who he could confidently say was on his side - which yes, included Peter.

Which was how he found himself trying to control a very hyperactive Spiderkid, and failing miserably at it. 

“You're gonna follow what I say exactly, right Peter?” Tony stressed. The boy had significantly brightened up from the night, bouncing around the hotel room in his new Spiderman outfit. 

“Kid, are you listening?” Tony asked, reaching one hand out to stop Peter's energy. “You're gonna listen to me and do exactly what I say right?” 

“Yes, Mr. Stark!” Peter smiled wide at him, still bouncing on the balls of his feet. He sighed again and ran his hand through the child's hair, stooping down to look him in the eyes. 

“Tell me what you're gonna do then huh? You're gonna…” Tony trailed off and raised an eyebrow at the child. Peter bit his lip in concentration before smiling at the man again. 

“I'm gonna take the shield, give it to the lady with red hair, and then I'm gonna stay out of the way.” 

“Exactly, good kid.” Tony said. He hesitated for just a beat before reaching up and kissing the kids forehead. Fucking hell, the sooner the fight drew near, the more worried and anxious Tony felt for Peter. It wasn't right to bring him into this, but it was happening either way now. 

He just hoped he made the right decision. 

~~~~

The kid was golden. 

“You're Captain America!” Peter said almost reverently, bringing the tension to an almost dead standstill as both sides stared up at him.

“He is,” Tony said. “And now you know what to do with the shield, right?” 

“Oh, right right!” the kid fumbled. He looked around desperately and Tony almost wanted to point Natasha out for him. But then the plan would be foiled, so that was a no go - which felt bad, since Peter looked like a kicked puppy even through the mask. 

“Wha-wh-how old are you?” Steve sputtered out, looking incredulously at the kid who had stolen his shield. Tony had to admit, the kid knew how to command a room - even if only through utter shock. 

“Umm, none of your business?” Peter said weakly. “I'm not supposed to give out information to strangers, even Captain America.” 

“Well that is a good point,” Steve pondered. “That's very smart.” 

“I'm sorry, but what?” Scott asked, gesturing wildly at the two sides. “Am I missing something? Are we gonna sit here and applaud the kid's merits for not talking to strangers or are we gonna actually do something?” 

“I vote do something!” Peter quipped as he spotted Natasha. He threw the shield to her so fast that the air around it seemed to blur - a near perfect throw that she caught with ease. 

“You know Tony, bringing that kid is a sneaky thing,” Steve grumbled. “It's not right.” 

“Never said I was in the right for that!” Tony countered. “You see, I actually admit my mistakes and do something about them. Because now, he's going to stay out of the way.” 

“Yeah, what he said!” Peter cried out, one hand raised in the air. “Admit your mistakes!” 

“And stay out of the way.” Tony added. Peter shrugged a bit, still on top of the trailer. 

“We'll see about that.” he said, swinging away as the two sides started to engage for real. Tony watched him, face disbelieving as the kid flew to the building holding Bucky and Sam. 

“Goddammit kid,” Tony hissed as he turned to meet Steve, who had acquired his shield again. “Be safe.” 

~~~~

Tony was ready to pass out. It had been a long night with Peter, a couple hours of rest, and now a huge fucking fight? 

Clint and Wanda stood in front of him, building behind him. He honestly just wanted to stop, to plead with them to back down and just work with him. If Peter could work with Tony, then surely these grown adults could too. 

“I thought you were supposed to be in the tower,” he began, pointing to Wanda and then at Clint. “And you're supposed to be retired.” 

“I didn't enjoy being grounded,” Wanda said, mouth turned down and eyes dark as she glared at Tony. “Besides, you've got a real kid to do that to now.” 

“That's a bit excessive,” he said. “You weren't grounded per se. More like a strong caution. And the kid isn't really mine. Just borrowing him.” 

Clint scoffed. “I don't think you can really borrow a kid Tony. You know, since they're real breathing human beings and all that.” 

“You're right,” Tony said. “I guess I'm more babysitting then.” 

“Remind me to never leave you alone with my kids Tony.” 

“Oh please,” now it was Tony's turn to scoff. “Spiderkid is the only one I think I can stand. And even that took time!” 

“Well they grow on you right? Eventually you might even wanna take that kid out of a full blown battle!” 

Tony winced at that because yeah, it was a shitty thing to do to bring Peter into it, but what could he do about it now? 

“Yeah okay, I deserved that,” Tony admitted. “But he's a good fighter.” 

“Better than you.” Clint said, and now the bow was aimed straight at him and notched. Tony tensed for just a second before readying himself. 

“You ever miss?” Tony asked, Wanda scoffing at the thought. 

“Nope.” Clint grinned and let the bolt fly, skewered just a bit to the right of Tony. Holy shit, how ironic was that? He almost wanted to laugh as he turned and burned it to a crisp with a simple gesture of his hand. 

“Well there's a first time for everything.” Tony said, shrugging while he turned back to Clint and Wanda. Clint grinned at him, one shoulder up. 

“Made you look.” 

~~~~ 

It was almost over. Tony was exhausted and pissed, and just a bit embarrassed that he fell for Clint’s trick. The man was called Hawkeye for God's sake, he wasn't going to miss a target like a big fucking shiny suit of armor. 

He staggered over to Peter, suit retreating as he did so. The boy was lying on the ground, chest heaving and face contorted in pain as he struggled to get up. 

“Kid,” Tony wheezed, groaning as he bent down to help him up. “Kid, let's get you up.” 

He reached down, gripping Peter's shoulders and jerked back when the boy let out a pained cry and bent forward, eyes blind and hand flying wildly to protect himself. 

“Peter - hey Petey it's just me -” Tony said, grabbing his arms and pushing them to his chest. The boy let out panicked whines, fighting to regain control until he realized who was in front of him. 

“Tony!” he cried out, face morphing into a grin as he reached forward and buried his face in Tony's chest. Tony wrapped his arms around the kid, breathing deep as he held him. Jesus, he was glad the kid was safe. 

It had been un-fucking-believably dumb of him to bring Peter to Berlin. It had been dumb and dangerous and Tony wanted to punch himself for getting the kid involved. He was eleven, of course the kid wasn't going to listen to him when Tony told him to stay out of the action. It was Tony's responsibility to make sure Peter wasn't in the action. 

He tried to tell himself that it was alright because Peter was okay, that Peter was breathing and alive. But it didn't feel alright when Peter leaned back to smile at him again and Tony saw the bruise that was already beginning to form on his forehead. It felt like the biggest fucking mistake on planet Earth and beyond. 

“Stay here Peter,” Tony said. He brushed one hand through the kid's hair before standing up. “I'll send someone to pick you up and bring you back to May’s - probably Happy.” 

“I don't wanna stay here Tony,” the kid protested. “I wanna go with you!” 

“No kid, you're done.” Tony warned, gesturing for Peter to sit back down. “You're done.” 

“Where are you even going?” Peter whined, although he did sit back down. Tony bit his lip and looked up at the sky, at the aircraft that was steadily leaving his view. 

“I'm going after them,” he said simply. “After Steve and Bucky.” 

~~~~

It hurt. 

Everything hurt. 

His head, his body, his heart. 

It hurt. 

~~~~

He didn't speak to the kid about what had happened after the fight. It wasn't something Peter needed to hear, to have his fantasies of superheros smashed when he realized that it wasn't all friends and fights where you held back ninety percent of your strength because a kid was involved. 

He knew the kid sensed something was wrong, that Tony was more bitter and beat up then when he had last seen him, but he didn’t mention it. 

“So Peter, ready to join the mundane again?” Tony teased him. They were in the car, being driven by Happy back to May’s apartment. 

“No!” Peter cried out, glaring half heartedly at the man. “I'm being forced to not help people. Now it's basically my fault that they're getting hurt Tony!” 

“No it's not,” Tony cut in. “Because it's not a child's responsibility to save them. What is your responsibility is to keep getting good grades, go to bed on time and all that crap.” 

“Whatever.” the kid mumbled. Tony noticed the way his eyelids kept drooping, every sentence ending or beginning with a yawn. He was obviously exhausted and ready to just drop dead asleep. 

Tony could relate. 

Once they got to the apartment Peter stumbled out of the car, Tony following fast behind in case he fell. The kid tried to insist on carrying his own bags up to his seventh floor apartment, but Tony knew a bad idea when he heard one, so Happy ended up lugging them up the stairs. 

May answered the door almost immediately, pulling her nephew into a tight hug that he reciprocated, almost melting into her arms. 

“I'm so happy you're home,” she said to him, pulling away slightly. “Was it fun?” 

“Lots of fun May.” Peter mumbled, following as she led him and indirectly Tony into the apartment. “Learned a lot of science stuff.” 

“Yes, lots and lots of science,” Tony added in an effort to disguise their lie. “Just a ton of science.” 

“Sounds great.” May said, smiling at her sleepy nephew. “Are you ready to just sleep now Peter?” he nodded to her, one hand rubbing his eyes. 

“Bye Tony,” Peter said tiredly as he turned to him, smiling even in his exhaustion. “I had a lot of fun.” 

“I did too, kid.” Tony said, reaching out to place a quick hand on his shoulder. It was a lie, because there was no way any of what had happened between him and Steve was fun, but it made the kid happy. “I'll be in touch.”

“Okay.” Peter said, face lighting up as he thought he realized what Tony meant. And no, Tony did not mean as Spiderkid. Not ever again - never ever again in a million years. Probably at least. It was a shaky time. 

Peter turned then, one last wave to Tony as he departed down the tiny hall to his room. May and Tony watched him in companionable silence. She walked over to the couch then and sat down, looking up at Tony for a moment. 

“Did he do okay?” May asked almost worriedly after the pause. Tony almost wanted to smirk at the concern. Yes, her nephew had done well in his first superhero battle, even if he had decided to disobey Tony. In the science field trip? That's a bit complicated. 

“He did great Ms. Parker. Peter's really...really something special.” Tony said instead. May smiled at him then in relief and pat down the spot next to her on the couch, a clear invitation. 

“He's got you wrapped around his finger too now huh?” She joked as Tony sat down. He glanced back towards the bedroom where he knew Peter was sleeping, knew it because he could hear the same heavy breathing interrupted every now and then by a pause of silence as he breathed in deep. 

“Oh he's got you bad Tony,” she teased him, but her eyes betrayed the excitement she felt for her nephew. Tony understood it, because he understood what came with a childhood filled with a want for stability. 

He had dealt with it, with a father who never bothered to deal with him and Peter had dealt with it through the deaths of his own father figures. It was probably a comfort to May that Tony had at least made some sort of positive mark in Peter's life. 

Tony wanted to continue being a positive mark on Peter's life, wanted to be there for as long as he could. 

“May, is there any way you could put me in his contacts? His emergency contacts?”

~~~~ 

It had already been a couple of months. Six months of constant contact with literally hundreds of government officials, all vying for a chance to get Tony’s attention on the Accords, or destruction that the Avengers had (allegedly, said just in case Tony wasn't in the mood to lend his ear) caused, even negotiations of pardons for the rogue agents. 

And if that was the bad, Tony was extremely grateful for the good. 

The good in his life came in the form of a picture sometimes, sent from May Parker to him of Peter. Peter smiling and waving, Peter eating, Peter building legos with another boy. Sometimes it was a text message from Peter himself about how bored he was to not be on patrol, about how he was doing in school and how he missed Tony. 

Tony would text him back when he could, always stressing that the boy better not find himself out in the Spiderman suit if he knew what was good for him, about how proud Tony was in his academic achievements, about how Tony missed him too. 

It was weird, to miss the kid. He imagined it somewhat to how a parent must feel when they can't see their own child for a very long time, like the time itself is only a torturous countdown to the next time you see them. 

He did get to see him a couple of times (three, not that Tony was keeping count). The first time was the kids birthday party, where he got to meet Peter's best friend Ned.

He remembered mostly how Peter had pat down the spot in his room next to him so casually, inviting Tony Stark to sit on the floor and build with legos. More ridiculous than the casual nature was that Tony actually obeyed, bones creaking slightly as he asked what it was they were building. Ned had looked at him as if he were about to explode in excitement, which maybe he was. 

His present to the kid had been two words, whispered to him after Ned left. 

One hour. One hour of out on patrol with the suit Tony had brought and then he was to be back immediately. 

It was almost worth the hour of anxiety Tony had when he saw how bright Peter’s eyes had become when Tony begrudgingly handed him the suitcase with his suit, how he watched the boy fly to the building next to their own (and no, Tony wasn't just leaving the boy out to dry. His suit had 24 hour surveillance, plus a whole bunch of other shit Tony had specially installed just to make sure Peter would never be alone or injured badly). 

What wasn't worth it though was the hour of stalling May Parker. He had told the woman that Peter had been sleeping, exhausted from his birthday and that he wanted to know more about their past. 

Which was why, when exactly 53 minutes later he heard Peter stumble in his room he almost cried out of gratitude. Not that he didn't love getting to hear more about the kids early life, just that he didn't realize May somehow had a story for every day Peter had been alive. 

The second time had almost been accidental, would’ve been if Tony hadn't directly issued an actual field trip from Peter's school to Stark Enterprises with the sole purpose in mind to see Peter. 

It had been exciting in a way, to see bright eyed sixth graders flood into the designated ground floor, where technology had been set up for them to marvel over. It had been most exciting to see Peter trail in at the tail end of the class, smile huge as he turned to listen to his friends. 

Tony recognised one of them, Ned - the one who had been at Peter's on his birthday and watched in awe as they had all made Lego structures together. The second was a girl with the type of face which made him wary, only because even at her young age Tony could tell she had a certain type of sharp intelligence that was rare. That intelligence reminded Tony of Natasha in a strange way. 

“Peter!” he called over the crowd, jogging up the boy and his group of friends. It was a tiny bit of an ego boost when Ned automatically started to hyperventilate as they came his way, but the girl made sure to bring it back down by staring at him with blank eyes. 

“Tony!” he said, wide grin already plastered on his face. Neither of them moved to embrace the other, even though Tony wanted to and was fairly certain Peter would have reciprocated. It was different, as if the Peter and Tony that were in public were different people. They had been through a battle together, a full blown battle and yet no one would ever know. Maybe it drew them closer in some respects. 

“I'm glad to see you here, you too Ned.” Tony said. “And who's this?” 

“I'm Michelle, but friends call me MJ.” she said simply, one eyebrow raised as she watched him. 

“Well then MJ, I'm glad that you're here too.” 

She cracked a smile at that, albeit a very small one, but a smile. It was a start. 

“Anyways, I wanted to show you something Peter,” he began. “And your friends.” They exchanged looks but followed the man as he lead them around the crowd. 

“What do you think?” He asked Peter, guiding the boy and his friends over to a display where various screens showed off the Iron Man suit. 

“That's so awesome!” Ned breathed out and MJ shrugged even as she was intrigued. God Natasha would love the girl, Tony knew it. 

Peter turned and smiled at him before saying, “It's alright. Bet it looks cooler in action though!” 

Tony rolled his eyes at the boy in mock annoyance, huffing exaggeratedly. 

“I can never win with you Peter,” he whined as the kid laughed at his display. “You're too hard to please!” 

The rest of the day was as fun as a day where a flood of 6 graders invaded your company could be. Tony felt 2 parts happy and 1 part anxious watching Peter and his friends move from exhibit to exhibit. 

He wondered if Peter would ever pursue a career in science while he watched and fielded questions from various children. He had the heart and brains for it. Tony wouldn't let money be an issue either.

The kid could even pursue the career and work for Stark Industries. But would he want to, was the real question. Tony would never force Peter into any job (not that he had the power too - he barely had the power to make the kid stop crying,) or any career path. 

In any case, it was a secret relief when the trip was over. Tony discreetly made his way over to Peter, motioning to the boy to step next to him. They watched in a comfortable silence as they watched the crowd. 

“Would you work here?” he asked suddenly as they watched the rest of the students file out. Peter glanced up at him, one eyebrow raised in a way that Tony knew the boy got from him. 

“Of course,” Peter said. “Who wouldn't?” 

“Even with me?” Tony asked, self doubt filling him for a second. Who was he kidding, he brought the kid into a fucking battle. No way he'd ever be trusted to look after him in any capacity. 

“That'd be the best part Tony,” the boy said shyly, one hand reaching to hold his own. “Being with you all day.” 

His self doubt fled. 

~~~~

The third time was to babysit, as dumb as that sounded. Tony Stark, the man inside the Iron Man suit, who protected the world countless times and had a trillion dollar company to run, was babysitting for a women who had to work a late shift. 

Peter had been ecstatic, practically jumping off the walls with his enthusiasm and energy. At one point he had even began to crawl up the walls until Tony ordered him down with a tone he hoped sounded appropriately stern. Something told him it hasn't when Peter merely laughed but obeyed the man. 

They had gone out to eat, at some pizza place that Peter swore up and down he would work at just for free food. Tony didn't see how any of it was exactly edible, but the kid liked it and that was what mattered. 

And that was how they were caught by the paparazzi. 

One second the kid had been babbling about something in the booth up against the glass wall, one hand outstretched and encased by Tony’s, the other gesturing wildly and the next he had jerked back out of shock from a bright flash. 

Tony jerked back too, hand letting go of his hand as he turned to see photographers right outside the window. 

“Are you okay?” he asked the boy after a beat, ushering him out of the booth. Peter blinked a few times, eyes watering slightly from the intense light but nodded at him anyways. 

Tony paid hurriedly at the counter, ignoring the confused whines from Peter. There was no way he was letting those vultures get any more pictures of the boy then they had already gotten. 

“Why are we going?” the boy whined, letting his feet drag as Tony tried to drag the boy along with him. 

“We're going back to your apartment,” Tony said, hurrying them both up. He had taken several side streets once they left the pizzeria in an attempt to avoid the photographers. “It's late.” 

“I wasn't finished though.” Peter complained, face cross. It agitated Tony even more to see that, to see Peter upset and complaining. 

“I'm sorry, okay?” Tony snapped slightly. “I just didn't want those guys to see you anymore. They don't deserve to have pictures of you.” 

They had stopped, just a few blocks away from May’s house. Tony watched the boy for a few moments, breath held as he waited for Peter to cry or get upset. 

Instead he shrugged and smiled up at Tony. 

“I'm tired anyways,” Peter mumbled, still smiling up at Tony. “Let's go home.” 

It turned out Peter really hadn't been lying. As soon as they got to the apartment and Tony pushed the door open the boy sluggishly walked to his room and collapsed on the bed. 

“You don't wanna get changed or brush your teeth?” Tony asked the half asleep kid, watching bemused as he raised his head tiredly. 

“No,” he breathed out. “Wanna sleep.” 

“Even with your shoes on?” 

“Mhmm.” 

“Are you listening to me?” 

“Mhmm.” 

“Wanna go out as Spiderman tonight?” 

“Mmmm.” Tony cracked a grin as the kid breathed out. He was clearly out of it if he didn't even wake up to the sound of Spiderman. 

“Okay, I'll leave you alone Peter,” Tony said. “Goodnight.” 

“G’night dad,” Peter mumbled then, turning to bury his face in the pillow. Tony froze for just a minute, breath held in anticipation of a further explanation, for the boy to realize what he had said and correct himself.

But he didn't. 

Instead Tony stood over the boy (his boy, could he call Peter his boy? It felt like he was his, he certainly wanted it to be sometimes) and placed one hand on his shoulder, rubbing circles on the blanket with his thumb until he heard the breathing even out. 

“Night kid.” He whispered, before turning and letting himself out of the room. 

When May got home he wanted to tell her what Peter had said, to let her know that the word had somehow fundamentally changed his thinking and how he wanted it to be true. How he needed it to be true. 

Instead she seemed to beat him to it, a soft smile on her face that let Tony knew that somehow she knew. 

“It's okay to feel fatherly towards him you know,” she said right as he made to leave. “He certainly looks up to you as a dad.” 

Tony paused for just a moment before simply nodding, not trusting his voice to say what he wanted it to. 

“Goodnight Tony,” she called to him as he made his way out of the apartment. 

“Good night May.” 

If he had known that was the last time he would be able to speak to her, Tony would’ve said much more. 

~~~~

The fourth time he saw Peter was in the hospital, where he began fostering the boy. 

It had been late at night, late enough that the first few rings of the phone didn't wake Tony up. He finally woke up by the fourth or fifth ring, blearily looking at the caller ID before answering. 

“Hello?” Tony mumbled into the phone. He wouldn't have answered it if the caller hadn't been a hospital. Who knew who was hurt out there - with his luck it'd be Peter. 

“Mr. Stark? Hi, sorry to bother you but we're calling about a Peter Parker? Do you know who that is?” 

Oh shit. 

“Yes, yes of course I do. Is he hurt? Bad? What's going on?” He was more aware now that the possibility of violence had been raised against the kid. Tony was just grateful he had convinced the aunt to place him on emergency contacts as a family friend, even if it had taken some convincing. 

“No, no Peter is uninjured Mr. Stark. It's his aunt who we're concerned about. She's had a heart attack and is susceptible to another through her current condition. Someone needs to come get Peter, he's quite distraught you can ima-” 

“I'm coming.” Tony cut the women off. “I'm coming to pick him up right now. Keep him there please, I'm coming.” 

“Okay Mr. Stark, I'll make sure he stays where he is. Thank you for coming in on such short notice, you're the only person on his contact list right now.” The women sounded relieved at his willingness. 

It hasn't taken him long to get to the hospital, what with the deserted streets since it was some ungodly hour in the morning - Happy had been more than well, happy, to get Tony there as soon as possible, even if it meant breaking multiple laws. But it felt like a lifetime to Tony, as if every second he drew closer to Peter was multiplied by ten.

“We're here Mr. St-” he didn't wait for Happy to finish, instead sliding out of the car and nodding at Happy in appreciation. Inside seemed like a maze put there purposely to confuse Tony and separate him from Peter. 

He got to what appeared to be a front desk eventually (what felt like hours in reality had been a few minutes), rushing up to it to find out where he was supposed to go. 

“I need to pick someone up,” Tony blurted out. “I need to pick up Peter Parker. Where is he?” The receptionist blinked at him in a daze, not seeming to hear his words - only looking at who he was. 

“Yes, I'm Tony Stark!” He cried out in frustration. “I need to pick up Peter Parker!”

The man only seemed to become more flustered, hands fumbling around with the papers scattered around his desk. 

“I'm - I'm not su-” he stammered, leaving Tony even more frustrated and anxious. He needed to get to Peter, take him back to the Tower, get him to bed and then figure out his plan from there. Another long and panicked night. 

“Then find someone who does.” he seethed, turning around to search for himself before hearing what sounded like his name being called out. 

“Mr. Stark?” he heard it again, louder then. It sounded almost exactly like the woman who had been on the phone, the doctor he presumed. Tony turned fast towards the voice, whirling until he found the woman he had been looking for. 

She looked panicked. She looked panicked and saddened, as if - 

As if someone had died.

“What happened?” The words came out tumbled together, pace too fast and mouth too slow for the words to have any real meaning. Tony looked at the doctor in fear at what he suspected. 

“What happened?” The words were fully formed this time, much more confident in how he said them. The quiet the doctor found herself in was shaken away by his words and demands. 

“Mr. Stark, while you were getting here May Parker suffered another heart attack.” 

The words did not fully hit Tony until he realised the doom they held, the foreboding future they promised to unleash on Peter’s life. Then they hit like a massive fucking ton of bricks. 

“Is she - is she gone?” Somehow the word dead got lodged in his throat, as if saying it aloud would make them real. Which was stupid because Tony already knew the reality of what had most likely happened, but just in case.

“Not yet,” the doctor said quietly. “But even if she survives initially, she would be on life support the rest of her life.” 

Tony swallowed at the words, at the enormity of what he was now responsible for. Because Peter was his responsibility, always had been and always will be - now just amplified. 

There were a million things Tony wanted to say, a million questions that would lead to a billion more, but only one stuck in his head with any real force. 

Peter. He had to see Peter. 

“Can I see him?” he asked finally. “Can I see Peter?” The doctor nodded, gesturing for Tony to follow him as they made their way deeper into the corridor of the hospital. 

Eventually they made their way to a small, one off room with the door closed and cries echoing inside them.

“We brought him to an empty room when she fell into a coma,” the doctor said. “If a heart attack is severe enough and oxygen is cut off to the brain for long enough…” she shrugged helplessly at her own explanation.

Tony nodded before pointing to the door. "Can I go in now?" he asked, nerves on edge. The doctor nodded, holding the door open for him as Tony stepped inside, eyes immediately falling on the sobbing child. 

Peter hadn't even chosen a chair, instead sinking to the floor as he cried. At the door opening he looked up, face flushed and wet as he spotted Tony.

“Peter, Peter come here -” was all Tony managed to say until the child turned and slammed himself into his arms, face wet and mouth choking out unintelligible words. 

He had enough instinct in himself to wrap his arms around the child and rock him, trying desperately to keep Peter latched onto him. As if he could shield him from the reality of his situation if only the boy couldn't see anything but Tony’s shirt, hear his calming tone, feel his presence. 

But the sobs coming from Peter were not going to let up anytime soon he knew. They sounded as if the boy himself had been condemned to death, that he would pass alongside his aunt. And maybe he thought he would, that with no relatives left standing in the way of the system that the boy would rather perish. 

Tony would never let that happen. No, he would sooner adopt the boy then let him be swept away. 

“C'mon Peter,” Tony whispered to the child through his sobs. “Just hold on a bit longer.” 

~~~~ 

Somewhere. 

Somewhere they stirred from rest, brought on by something, not anything that anyone could explain. 

They could not see, blind to everything the world had to offer them. Their limbs trembled as they hoisted themselves up, the alien feeling of earth beneath their limbs giving away to confidence. 

They cocked their heads to the heavens and heard, heard noises amplified so loud that it was almost painful. They would do anything to make those dreadful noises cease - anything to be blind and deaf once more. 

Somewhere they stirred. 

Somewhere.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One can not see what is in front of him. 
> 
> The other is blind. 
> 
> ~~~~ 
> 
> Or, Tony struggles with the first day of a grief stricken Peter and finds out he isn't the only guardian in the boys life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so tempted to watch/read the spoilers on infinity war I'm trying so hard not to but I'm also so nervous that Tony is gonna die that my stomach is hurting lol I'm seeing it tomorrow so I'm trying to calm down buT i can't
> 
> Edit ~~
> 
> I'm dead. What was that ending I mean I'm pretty sure I know what might happen in the next movie but how dare this happen to me this story will not be affected by it but that HUG oh my god.

The quiet wasn't always ugly to Peter. Sometimes he could deal with it, on the days where the sky's were vibrant and everyone seemed happy. 

He could deal with it when Tony woke him up by running a hand through his hair until the sensation woke him up, sleeping eyes blinking until he could fully see the smiling man. 

He could deal with it when he could feel the sand beneath his bare feet as he made his way across the small community the rag-tag group of Avengers left had created, when it stuck to his feet for days, refusing to leave him. 

He could deal with it when everyone sat down for dinner, when they would sign back and forth rapidly and Tony smiled at him as he signed back. When he felt full and happy, content to just lean his head against Tony's chest as he drifted off. 

He couldn't deal with it when the silence grew oppressive, when the group was in town and suddenly someone would turn to him and force him on the ground, when their eyes were wide with panic as he realized it meant that one of those things were near. 

He couldn't deal with it when Tony handed him the external cochlear device, when he begged him to _at least try it please Peter, I swear this one will work please just try_ \- and Peter would give in, try it and it didn't work. It never worked. 

Peter couldn't deal with the lack of noise when Tony pulled him close suddenly, face blank but teeth clenched as he picked Peter up and walked carefully through the sand, and when he made to protest when Tony shook his head, signing to him that it wasn't safe. 

The quiet wasn't always ugly to Peter, but it usually was. 

~~~~  
_Before_

Taking care of a grieving child was not something Tony thought he would ever be doing. 

“Let’s get you in the car now Peter, okay?” he mumbled to the boy. They had been allowed to leave the hospital, encouraged even after Peter had been explained of where he would be going for the night. 

Tony was carrying him then, his arms wrapped securely around Peter as the boy continued to cry and hiccup into his shoulder. It wasn't fair, what had happened to the boy but it was now Tony's responsibility to make sure he was safe.

He nodded at Happy, simply requesting that they be brought back to the Tower for at least the night. Tony already had a room semi set up for Peter, converting the usually long and narrow bed to a more child friendly one, making sure it was wide enough so that if the boy rolled over in his sleep that he wouldn't gal off of it. 

Peter was mostly quiet the ride over, spasming slightly from the effort his body went through with his crying. Tears still made their way down his face and breaths still left his mouth shaking but he had calmed down some, instead opting to press himself as close as he could to Tony in the car. 

When they had gotten to the tower Tony hadn't even asked the boy if he wanted to walk or not, instead opting to just carry him. Peter obliged, wrapping his arms around Tony neck as he did so. 

“Best that you sleep now.” Tony mumbled to the child as they were in the elevator. He had put Peter's room next to his own on his own floor, not trusting the others with him. Which yes, was probably a shitty thing but Peter trusted him, and if anything happened to Peter in the Tower, Tony wouldn't be able to live with himself. 

That seemed to rouse Peter, who lifted his head up off Tony's shoulder and looked around the elevator. His face was red and his eyes irritated from crying so heavily. 

“Will you stay with me?” he asked Tony. Tony nodded, one hand reaching up to brush some stray hairs away from Peter’s forehead. Once the elevator had settled on the right floor he walked off, turning down the dark hallway with the sniffling child in his arms. 

The bedroom was still, bed made and walls blank as they entered. Tony shifted Peter in his arms, leaving one free to draw the covers back. 

“Let’s get you in Petey.” Tony mumbled, lowering the boy onto the bed. Peter let out a squeak of protest, reaching up to keep the man close to him. Tony drew back a bit, pulling the blankets up to cover the boy. 

“Do you need anything else?” he asked then, looking down at the trembling boy. Peter's chin started to shake, tears welling up and breath hitching as Tony took a step back in shock. Oh shit, what had he had he said? 

“Don't leave me!” he cried out. Peter had started sobbing again, breath hitching and stuttering out as he tried to calm down. “Don't leave me Tony!” 

“It's okay, it's okay Peter I won't leave,” Tony promised, sitting down on the side of the bed. “I'm not gonna leave.” He must’ve sounded like he was gonna leave - making Peter panic. It left a pit in Tony’s stomach to think that he was the one who made the boy cry. 

“Please don't leave me Tony!” Peter gasped out still, face wet and messy as he buried himself in Tony's chest. “Please don't leave me!” 

“I'm not,” Tony reassured him, one hand stroking his hair and the other wrapped securely around Peter's back. “I'm not leaving Petey.” 

The night was exhausting, stretching on forever for Tony. He spent it either comforting the panic stricken, soggy child or waiting to comfort Peter when he inevitably woke up. 

He had only drifted off for a few moments at a time it felt like, only to be woken up either by Peter crying or FRIDAY informing him that Peter was starting to have a nightmare. By the time the child had ended up exhausting himself to the point of passing out it was well into the morning, when Tony was just about ready to pass out himself. 

But first, it was a school day. And while Tony himself had never been called out of school by his parents, he knew that was something that parents did when their kids were sick. And Tony was determined to be the best guardian he could be for Peter. 

After asking FRIDAY the number for the school he blearily called it, wondering if anyone would even be at the school at six in the morning. To his surprise someone did pick up, sounding as happy as Tony did to be awake. 

“I'm calling in Peter Parker sick,” Tony explained. “He'll be out for some time.” 

“Who are you again sir?” the woman on the other line asked. “Peter Parker has his Aunt down as his guardian.” 

“I'm his emergency contact, Tony Stark.” he answered. “His aunt - his aunt is in the hospital.” Tony wasn't sure where to proceed from that, on whether it was even a good idea in general to tell anyone else. What would Peter want? 

“Oh! Oh I'm so sorry Mr. Stark, of course. I'll make sure he's excused for the day,” the receptionist said, suddenly sounding more awake and flustered. “I'll see to it right away.” 

“Thank you.” Tony said, tone flat as his vision began to slide. He hung up, tossing the phone carelessly on the kitchen counter next to him before stumbling to the couch and falling onto it. 

“FRIDAY, wake me up if Peter is having a nightmare,” Tony mumbled to the AI. “Or if he wakes up.” 

“Certainly.” 

Tony nodded to the empty room, eyes shutting more than they opened as he let sleep take over.

~~~~

“Sir, Peter has awoken.” Tony woke up to the message, blinking as he sat up on the couch. 

“What time is it?” he asked, looking at the bright sun that had arisen with the rest of the city. The night had been almost dream-like, going to the hospital and taking Peter home, staying up with him for hours. 

“It is eleven am sir.” the AI informed him. Tony sat up then, groaning as he thought of the time. He wasn't sure he had ever slept in this late without some heavy drinking beforehand. 

“Is Peter still in his room?” Tony asked. 

“He's moving to the hallway right now,” FRIDAY told him. “Right towards you sir.” 

That made Tony sit up, stumbling off the couch as he heard the door from Peter's room creak open and footsteps shuffle out. 

When he saw Peter, the poor kid looked like death. He was pale, skin shiny from sweat and hair either matted to his head or sticking up. His eyes were red and sore looking, his lips chapped and bitten to hell. 

“Hey kiddo.” Tony said, at a loss for words. What do you say to a child who just lost their guardian the night before? 

“Hi.” Peter responded, walking over to the couch and flopping himself onto it. Tony walked back over and sat down next to the boy, waiting for him to continue to speak. 

“Today's a school day.” Peter said eventually, voice emotionless. He rest his head on the cushion, eyes staring up at Tony. 

“I called you out,” Tony explained. “You don't have to go for a bit.” 

“Because Aunt May died.” 

Tony swallowed hard at the words. Jesus what was he supposed to tell the kid? 

“She's not - not dead Peter,” Tony said, stumbling over his words. “She's in a coma.” 

“Does it matter?” Peter said, no sarcasm or bite to his words. He just sounded miserable and frightened at his situation. “She's gonna die.” 

Tony didn't have any words to that. It was true, the staff had said there was no way she was going to recover from the coma, but Jesus Christ he didn't want to say that to Peter. 

“I'm gonna get you breakfast,” he mumbled after a moment, retreating into the kitchen. Tony looked around, half in desperation and half in annoyance as he realized that he had almost no food. Guess a full blown fucking rift in your elite superhero squad really makes you forget about grocery shopping. 

“Are PopTarts okay?” Tony asked hopelessly, staring at the last bagged case of them in his pantry. There was a moment of silence and Tony really hoped that the kid would say that it was fine. 

“What type?” 

“Strawberry?” Tony cringed. As soon as possible, he was writing a list and having someone get groceries. The kid needed to eat, and he knew that some kids were picky. Although when he thought back to the god awful pizza that Peter loved Tony wasn't sure he was one of those kids. 

“I like them.” Peter said from the living room and Tony let out a sigh of relief. He made a mental note to add strawberry PopTarts to the list. 

He walked back to the living room, food in hand. Peter was still on the couch, face still miserable and hands slightly trembling. It made Tony feel even more like shit to 

“Here you go,” Tony said before awkwardly adding, “You can eat them on the couch.” 

Peter didn't respond, instead nodding his thanks as he took the package. It only then occurred to Tony that the kid might be thirsty because who ate their breakfast without a drink? God, Tony was a shit guardian, he wasn't cut out to take care of anyone, much less someone like Peter. 

“You want a drink?” he asked, ready to prove to himself that he was shit. Peter shook his head no though, nodding to the spot on the couch as an invitation for Tony to sit back down. He obliged, sliding down next to him and wrapping one arm around Peter as he nestled next to him. 

Peter ate in relative silence, content to simply lean on Tony and stare into space as he munched on his PopTart. It was Tony who broke the silence then, clearing his throat before speaking. 

“I'm gonna go down to the workshop for a bit Peter, okay? Just a couple of minutes, I promise.” Tony said, getting ready to stand up. He meant to eventually let Peter down with him, letting the kid tinker with spare parts and such. But it was important that it was as safe as possible then - even safer than what was required. 

“Wait Tony! I have to do something today. I have to meet with - with someone.” Peter swallowed hard at the thought, teeth ground together as he tried not to cry. Tony raised an eyebrow but sat back down to listen to him. 

“With who? A friend?” Tony asked. Peter nodded, looking uneasy still. “Are you sure you want to go?” 

“I have to,” Peter mumbled. “It's really really important.” 

“Who is it, Ned?” Peter shook his head no so Tony tried again. “Is it Michelle?” he shook his head again, which confused Tony. No offense to the kid at all, but he wasn't sure Peter had any friends besides those two. 

“Well, then who is it?” 

“An adult,” Peter admitted. “I have to see him today.” 

Tony felt his spine stiffen at the words. A grown adult man? He couldn't help but feel suspicion and unease pool in his stomach, which wasn't really fair he knew. Tony himself had been a random man in Peter's life so who's to say he was the only one? 

He wanted to be the only one though. 

“Okay,” Tony said then, words chosen carefully and said slowly. “Who is he?” 

“He's a type of lawyer,” the boy said, determined to not look at Tony. “A defense attorney. He's blind, too. I have to talk to him Tony, I really do.” 

“Where even is he?” Tony asked. This was an entirely different type of headache for him, one that he wasn't quite ready to deal with at the moment. But if it was that important to Peter, he would try and understand. 

“Hell’s Kitchen - but you don't have to drive me, I've walked there before and I need to go Tony -” 

“Whoever he is, he can wait Peter.” Tony said, calm but firm with the boy. God this was a whole different type of nightmare. What could a fucking blind defense attorney want with the boy? 

“Maybe I can't though!” Peter cried out. “Maybe I'm the one who needs to see him!” He had started to cry again, tears tracing tracks down his cheeks.

“Why?” Tony asked, tone desperate as he kneeled down in front of Peter. He had not been prepared to deal with the outburst, not realizing that he wasn't the only adult in Peter's life. What if Peter wanted to live with the other man? “Why do you need to?” 

“I just do,” he said, cries tapering off as Tony pulled him into a hug. Peter rest his head in the crook of the man's neck, burrowing deep and wiping his tears on his shirt. “I just need to tell him about - about Aunt May.” 

“You're exhausted Peter,” Tony started, whispering to the boy. “I'll take you some other time, yeah? And I'll meet whoever he is, if he's that important to you.” 

“He's a hero too,” Peter mumbled. “Not as big as you, but he's good.” 

“We'll talk about that later,” Tony said. He drew back slightly, looking at Peter as the boy hiccuped. “Is there anything else you wanna talk about though? Do you wanna talk about last ni -” 

“No!” Peter said, fast and loud. He had screwed his eyes shut, face grimacing as if he was in pain. “I don't wanna talk about it!” 

Tony nodded, not sure of what else to do. He knew that Peter was going to need his time, that the details were hazy about what exactly had gone down last night but Tony wasn't stupid. He knew who would have made the 911 call for May. 

“That's fine, that's totally fine.” he said, hoping to avoid upsetting Peter even more. It was painful to watch the boy cry to Tony. 

“I just wanna sleep,” Peter admitted, slumping back on the couch. “I don't wanna think about anything or anyone. But I really do gotta meet my friend sometime Tony, like this week.” 

“Take a nap on the couch, okay?” Tony soothed the boy, leaning over and placing a hand on the boy's forehead. It was something that his own mother had done, a comforting touch when Tony had been upset or sick or hurt. “I've got something I have to do for a bit anyways.” 

“Okay,” Peter said. “Will you be long?” 

“Not long kiddo,” Tony promised. “Don't worry about it.” Was it his best idea, leaving a grieving child alone to sleep on a couch in a multi million dollar tower? No. But Tony had to do something, something of the utmost importance. Tony tapped the kid on his nose before standing up and making to leave. 

“Bye Tony.” Peter called after him, sleepiness bleeding into his tone. He had lain down, facing away from the man. Tony knew that if the kid hadn't been so tired from his eventful night that he would be more hesitant, not so willing to let Tony go. 

It wasn't like Tony wanted to leave the kid either. It was just that he needed to secure the fact that Peter was safe. When new information was given, it was important to make sure everything checked out. 

“Bye Peter.” he called back to him, steps fast and purposeful as he walked away from the living room. Once he was in the elevator and certain that the boy couldn't hear, Tony began his search with FRIDAY. 

“Okay, what can you find for me on blind defense attorneys in Hell’s Kitchen?” 

~~~~

DareDevil. 

The man who Peter was supposed to meet was DareDevil. 

It was a wonder what information a good database could provide for you when you needed to figure out what the secret identities of heroes was - and vice versa. 

It didn't take long for Tony to find out his identity. There were only so many defense attorneys operating specifically in Hell’s Kitchen. And only one was blind. 

Really, Tony should’ve known as soon as Peter said the man was a hero. A blind hero who was located in Hell's Kitchen? It wasn't like there was tons of them running around. 

Tony was going to pay the man a visit. 

Tony didn't know exactly what to expect from the man, although he was hoping that Peter had been right about the man being good. If there was one thing Tony had learned from the fucking Avengers Civil War was that just because you were a hero, didn't mean you were good. 

It had taken an even shorter time to discover where the man lived, and to get there. Tony supposed it should be worrying just how many doors money would open for you, but he would leave that worrying for the ones without the money. For now, it was nice to get information fast and easy. 

The man lived in an apartment, one that seemed fairly expensive to Tony. Which did surprise him, since from what information that Tony could acquire was that the man didn't have too many clients. Maybe he was thief - just like that man that had turned fucking huge in his battle with Cap. 

Alright, maybe it was more than a bit worrying what Tony could dig up on people. 

He knocked on the door, fidgeting impatiently as he waited for the man to come to the door. Inside he could hear footsteps cautiously treading near the door, hesitating before finally the door swung open towards Tony. 

And there was DareDevil. 

“Hello?” the man asked. He looked casual, the only noticeable piece of attire being the tinted sunglasses shielding his eyes. Tony had known that DareDevil was blind, but it was still a bit of a shock to realize it when he was right in front of him. 

“I think we should speak.” Tony said. “Inside, preferably.” 

The man tensed, possibly mistaking Tony for an enemy. Which they could be, Tony reasoned, if he had at all done anything unsavory to Peter. 

“I'm Tony Stark, by the way.” he said. “Just in case you couldn't tell.” Tony hoped that even if the man didn't like him, he at least knew that he wasn't there to try and harm the superhero. At least for now. 

He seemed to lose the tension, arms slackened to his sides as he nodded at Tony, gesturing the man into his apartment. 

“Please, come in.” 

“Nice place,” Tony said, marveling at the colored glass window panes and stone walls. The man smiled at the compliment. It unnerved Tony, the way he seemed to be looking right at him through the sunglasses. 

“My name is Matt Murdock, though I can guess you already know that. Care to sit?” he gestured around the room, bathed in the tones of purple and red from the electric billboard outside.

Tony sat on one of the many couches scattered around the apartment. Matt sat down across from him, so elegantly that it was clear he had memorized the layout of the apartment. 

“Now Mr. Stark, can I ask why you are here?” 

“It's about Peter Parker,” Tony said bluntly. “He said he was supposed to meet you after school.” 

The man's smile slipped a fraction, brow creasing at the words. “He was, yes. Is this what you wanted to talk about?” 

“Matt, I'm just gonna cut the bullshit,” Tony started. “We both know what Peter liked to do after school. I know what you like to do after work, and everyone knows what I like to do occasionally.” He was bluffing slightly about whether Matt knew that Peter had been Spiderman ( _Spiderkid_ ) but what else were two superhero protectors of New York talking about? 

Matt nodded slowly, leaning in closer to Tony. “I'm not surprised you would know about me, on accounts that it was your mess that got my city in trouble.” 

Tony rolled his eyes, standing up and walking towards the window. Of course it was his fault, everything was his fucking fault. “I'm not even going to get into that right now. I'm here about Peter. Why was he coming to you in the first place?” 

“He wanted me to look after Queens a bit,” Tony nearly jumped at how close Matt's voice was. He turned around and saw the man right there, face impassive as he seemed to stare right at Tony. “Since he couldn't anymore.” 

“That's all? All he did was ask you to look after Queens while he couldn't be Spiderkid anymore?” The man hesitated then, face tilted down in thought. 

“We talked about family too, his uncle and such. He carries a lot of guilt about that. And you, Mr Stark. We talked about you.” 

“What about me?” Tony demanded. “What did he say?” Maybe it was wrong, but he had to know what the boy thought of him. And his uncle, he'd have to talk to Peter about that too. 

“He said you're his hero, that he looks up to you and such.” Matt said casually. “Said that he always looks forward to when you come around.” Tony couldn't help but feel just a bit disappointed, which he knew was shitty of him. 

He wanted the kid to say he was like a father figure to him - which wasn't fair at all. Peter had just lost his aunt, and now Tony was expecting him to just move on and see him as his dad. 

“Now let me ask you a question, Mr. Stark.” Matt said. “Why are you really here? I know Peter wouldn't miss his updates on Queens unless something serious happened.” 

The question caught Tony off guard, thrown off by the underlying edge in the mans tone. 

“His aunt had a heart attack and fell into a coma last night,” he admitted. “I'm taking care of him now.” 

“That's...very not good.” the man said, shock of the revelation seeming to blow away his eloquence. 

“Yeah, it's very not good.” Tony said dryly. “It's fucking shit actually.” 

“Why?” Matt asked, biting his lip in deep thought. “Do you not want to take care of him? Because if that's what it is, my place is always open to Peter.” 

“What? No!” Tony said. No fucking way was Peter staying with Matt. Sure, the man seemed like a good enough guy, obviously caring about Peter but Tony wasn't going to give up the boy. (His boy, he corrected in his head and then uncorrected. Too soon.) 

“I just...I'm worried that I'm gonna mess up,” Tony admitted. “I don't want him to be hurt any more than he has been.” 

“All parents mess up,” Matt said, tone surprisingly gentle, as if he genuinely cared about how Tony was feeling. “How you fix those mistakes is what really matters.” 

“I'm not sure I have what it takes to fix them either.” he said. Tony took a step back then, glancing towards the door. He should leave, should get back to Peter. The boy would probably wake up soon, would be scared if he realized he was alone in the Tower. 

“Time to go?” Matt asked. Tony started at the question. How could he possibly know that? The man was blind, there was no way he had seen Tony look at the door - 

“You paused like you were looking at something,” Matt cut into his internal dialogue smoothly. “I'm guessing the door, by where we are right now.” 

“Yeah,” Tony said, trying not to be a bit freaked out. That was a bit fucking weird though, that the man could just guess things like that. But who was Tony to judge? The kid he was taking care of had spider powers. “Peter’ll be wondering where I am if he's awake.”

“Say hi to him from me.” Matt said, ending their conversation. He walked Tony to the front door, opening the door without any hesitation. 

“Sure.” Tony lied. He wasn't ever going to bring up that fact that he went to basically intimidate the hero that Peter had asked to look after Queens to the boy. He was certain that it wouldn't go over well. 

“Oh and Tony?” Matt called after him as he was walking down the hall. Tony turned around to look at the man. “Next time, I suggest you drop the scare tactics. You're just a bit too short for it to work, suit or not. I'm blind, and even I can tell how short you are.” 

Tony wasn't sure it was ethically right to flip off a blind man, but he did it anyways. 

~~~~

Peter was already awake and on the couch when Tony got home. He had brought his blanket with him, cocooned inside it as he sat there. 

“Hey Petey.” Tony said as the boy undid the blanket around him and ran over to Tony. His face was less red than the last time he had seen him, eyes a bit less irritated looking. 

“You didn't tell me why you were leaving. What did you do?” Peter asked, not bothering to say hello back. His voice was rough and scratchy from crying for so long before, throat sore from the effort. 

“Just had something to take care of,” Tony said, evading the question. He knew that Peter probably suspected that he had been to see DareDevil, but he wasn't going to admit to it right then. “It's all good now.” 

“Is it because you don't want me?” Peter demanded. His eyes were red but fierce as he stared up at Tony. “Are you getting rid of me?” 

“No!” Tony said. He knelt down to be closer in height with Peter. Where the fuck was this coming from? He couldn't actually think that. “Why would you ever think that?” 

“Everyone dies when they have me Tony,” and then he began to hiccup again, shuddering breaths ripping through his frame. It almost seemed to Tony that Peter had held all his tears in, waiting for him to get back to release them. “It's my fault they all died Tony, it's my fault -” 

“It's not.” Tony cut him off, hands firm on Peter's shoulders. “Nothing that happened is your fault Peter. It is not your fault.” 

“It is Tony,” he said miserably, eyes misty as he stared beyond him. “Uncle Ben and Aunt May are both dead because of me.” 

“Don't say that Peter,” Tony said, guiding his face gently so that the boy was looking at him right in the eyes. “Don't you ever even think that. It is not your fault, not ever Peter. You hear me?” 

Peter nodded, face untrusting but not willing to fight further. Tony stood, dragging the boy up with him as he did so. 

“Let’s just both calm down, okay?” Tony said. “We can just sit on the couch and watch tv for now. We both just need to take a breath.” 

Peter didn't protest, instead shuffling after him as Tony sat on the couch, flipping through the channels. Eventually he settled on old Star Trek reruns - a show that Peter had talked extensively about enough that Tony knew the overall plot almost to heart. 

Peter settled next to him, wrapping the blanket around himself and staring at the tv. Usually the boy would be spouting off the same lines as the actors, but instead he kept his mouth in a straight line, body rigid and face tense. 

“Are you hungry?” Tony asked, trying to start a conversation. He didn't like the way Peter was closing himself off, when the boy thought he was too much of a burden and didn't tell anyone about what he was feeling. 

“No.” 

“You wanna watch anything else?” 

“No.” 

“Are you tired? I can turn the tv off if you are.” 

“I’m not tired.” 

“Do you - do you need anything?”

“ _No_.” 

The note of finality in Peter's voice made Tony shut up, exchanging the questions for worried glances at the boy. They both watched the screen in front of them, some unknown tension surrounding the air and making it almost hard for Tony to breathe. 

“What's gonna happen to me?” Peter asked suddenly, breaking the silence that had fell. He sounded so miserable that Tony wanted to pull him into his arms. 

“You're gonna stay with me Peter,” he said instead, simply placing a hand on the child's back. “For as long as you want.” 

There was silence for a second, only broken by the sniffling noises Peter kept making and the tv.

“Forever?” Peter asked then, voice hesitant. 

“Forever,” Tony affirmed, slouching a bit to look Peter more in the eyes. “As long as it’s what you want.” 

“What about you?” Peter asked. “Do you want me to stay?” 

“I do.” Tony answered. It was true, he wanted nothing more than for the boy to stay with him and just let Tony take care of him for the rest of his life. But if Peter wanted to live elsewhere, as long as it was a safe and loving environment, Tony wasn't going to stop him. He knew he probably wasn't the ideal guardian, even if Matt had said Peter looked up to him. 

“I wanna stay too,” Peter said. His face screwed up, eyes blinking fast in attempt to dispel tears. “But I wanted to live with Aunt May.” 

“I know,” Tony said, voice soft as he watched the boy. “I know you did.” 

They sat in silence for a bit longer, attention focused on the noise from the tv - although both were really focused on the other. It was Peter who broke the silence first, less than hour after their initial conversation.

“Tony?” his voice was quiet, breath shallow as he hesitated. 

“Yeah Peter?” Tony responded, peering at the boy. He seemed tiny on the couch, drowned in the blanket placed on his shoulders and sunken into the couch.

“I wanna see Aunt May,” Peter hesitated again, face tightened as he thought. “As soon as possible.”

“Of course kiddo,” Tony said, drawing the boy closer to him with one arm. “Anything you want.” 

~~~~

It was torture to exist. 

The noise was unbearable to them, loud and grating and _wrong_. It found its way past the protective outer plating that lined them, into the soft fleshy bits where it penetrated and burrowed inside. 

It drove them to madness, the quench for silence only answered when the noise ceased, by any means necessary. They discovered the use of their sharp claws, strong bodies and plating then, protecting them from harm whilst allowing them to deal damage. 

They worked in packs, dispelling noise as they went. It wasn't easy - sometimes the noise would not die. Then it was better to just move on, let someone else deal with the issue. 

It was torture to exist, but not for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love DareDevil, he probably isn't going to be a huge character in this but he will be in it - ill explain further down the line about how him and Peter met and such.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to the hospital, the reappearance Mr. Murdock and a surprise call from the past all come to complicate Tony's life even further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so everyone knows, I'm trying to update this story every Friday night. 
> 
> Unfortunately, next chapter will probably be late. I have an AP exam on Friday so I'll be devoting most of my time to studying for that. Just a heads up for everyone.
> 
> Also obligatory Star Wars references in this chapter bc May the Fourth be with you lmao
> 
> Also also - most of my knowledge of hospital visits are from the literal one time I went to visit my great gramma. So take it all with a grain of salt, I have no idea what I'm actually talking about

Peter had never lived anywhere outside of a big city before. 

He imagined, if he could hear, that he would hear bugs buzzing and the wind, on hot days the sear the sun left and the rustling of the crops around him. 

Sometimes he would try to hear, standing still and straining as hard as he could. His face would scrunch up and his arms would shake with the effort, as if if he just _tried harder_ that his hearing would magically come back, that it was his fault that it left in the first place - which it was, Peter accepted that even if Tony told him otherwise. 

And sometimes Tony would find him like that, shaking and face red from exertion. He would rush over, sign for Peter to _stop you're going to hurt yourself, it's not going to WORK_ so Peter would stop, tears pricking his eyes from the effort and failure. Tony would pull him into a hug, pulling back only to sign to him that he would hear again one day, that Tony was so close to fixing the external device. 

Somehow Peter never believed him. 

~~~~  
_Before_

It had taken a few days for Peter to work up the nerve to go see his aunt May. Tony knew it wasn't that he didn't want to, but more based in the fear of actually seeing his aunt laying there, still and quiet in a hospital bed. 

Tony also wondered if some part of Peter wished the woman was dead already, so that he didn't have to deal with the guilt of knowing at some point she would be taken off of life support. Tony didn't really know what he himself felt about that. 

Mostly he just felt like he was stealing May’s nephew from her. And was it right, ethically and morally right to even take her off of life support? What if they told Tony that he could use his own money to keep her alive? What would he even fucking say to something like that? 

What would Peter say?

It was just the type of dilemma that Tony knew was facing him when he and Peter finally began the journey back down to the hospital, but he did it anyways.

The ride there had been silent and full of tension. Not between Tony and Peter, more just a mounting pressure as Happy drove them closer and closer. 

“I'm scared.” Peter mumbled as they drove up to the curb of the hospital. 

Tony bit his lip, looking down at the child. He had tried his best to disguise himself and Peter, some futile attempt to keep him out of the press. He looked small and vulnerable in an oversized sweatshirt - that may or may not have been Tony's at one point - and sunglasses, pushing them up every now and then. 

“It's okay to be scared Petey, just don't let it control you.” Tony reassured him. He reached past the boy, intent on opening the door up, but Peter latched onto his waist, arms trembling slightly.

“I can't help it though - I'm so _scared_ Tony what if - what if she's dead? What if they didn't tell us?” he sounded so close to tears, as if anything would push him over the edge. 

Tony hesitated, wrapping one arm around Peter. “They would've told us Peter, don't worry. They would tell us if something happened.” 

Peter didn't respond, instead clinging to him tighter for a moment before letting go. He wiped his eyes, quick swipes before letting Tony finally open up the door. 

They slid out of the car, Tony giving one final nod to Happy before they made their way into the stone building. Peter reached up after a moment, taking Tony's hand in his own. He squeezed it once, letting Peter know he was there before they found themselves at the receptionists desk. 

Somehow, without the same amount of panic as last time, Tony found the hospital relatively easy to navigate. 

“Hi,” he said at the desk once they got there, smiling quickly down at Peter. “We're here to visit someone?” 

The lady at the desk sighed, seeming too bored to focus on who was in front of her. Or maybe she just didn't care, which if that was the case props to her. 

“Do you know their name?” she asked. Tony almost scoffed at the question, but stopped himself at the last moment. Yes, they just randomly walked into a hospital and decided to visit someone.

“We're here to see May Parker? She's -” Tony glanced down at Peter then, saw the kid’s blank face and changed what he was going to say. Something told him that if he said that May wasn't going to be alive longer that he would flip. “She's in a coma?” 

It wasn't much better, but at least Peter didn't freak out. 

“Of course,” the receptionist said, not sounding as enthusiastic as her words. “Take a seat in our lobby and I'll contact her doctor to make sure it's an okay time to visit.” 

“Great, thanks.” Tony said, making his voice as happy as hers. He led Peter away from the desk, one hand on his shoulder as he directed him towards the small waiting area. 

“Is she okay?” Peter asked as soon as they were seated, worrying his lip. Tony had chosen a bench for them in case Peter wanted to be closer to him without the chairs getting in the way. 

“I'm sure she is.” Tony reassured the boy. Generally, Tony tried not to lie to Peter about anything he felt was particularly important, but sometimes if he felt like the truth would hurt the boy Tony did. And other times, Tony just didn't know the truth.

This was one of those times. 

~~~~

Tony supposed it would happen sometime, but for the news to follow them into the hospital? It was a new fucking low. 

They had been sitting side to side, Peter curled halfway onto the man, his face resting next to the Arc Reactor. Tony had rested one hand in his hair, combing through it and gently untangling any knots he came across, a newfound skill he had learned after dozens of attempts where he left defeated, some of Peter's hair taken with him. 

Something else had come up with May’s main doctor, so it had been at least twenty minutes since the duo had checked in with the front desk. Peter's anxiety had been cranked to eleven once the receptionist had informed them of it

Peter spotted the cameras before Tony had, letting out a small cry and curling up even further onto him.

“Oh shit,” Tony mumbled as he spotted them too. Evidently, the disguises hadn't worked. He gripped Peter, turning so that it was his back facing towards the camera. “Don't move, okay? Just for a bit.” 

Peter nodded into his shoulder, tensing as he heard the crowd get closer. Tony forced himself to remain calm, to keep his face impassive. 

“Mr. Stark, what are you doing here?” One of the few without a camera demanded as they got closer. 

“Oh you know, just hanging out obviously. What are you doing here?” he deadpanned. “Actually, how did you know I was here?” 

“Your car is out front,” someone responded. “The one that you usually go in.” Tony groaned at the answer. Of course, because he couldn't go anywhere in the city apparently without being stalked. 

“Who is that with you Mr. Stark?” the first lady asked again. She seemed like an actual journalist to him, one who actually knew how do to her job. “Are the rumors true that you have a son?” Cameras momentarily blinded him, making him grip Peter a bit tighter. 

“No,” Tony said calmly. He felt Peter tense more at the answer. “He's a family friends son. And I have to say, kudos to all of you who decided to follow me into a hospital visit with a sick friend!”

A few of the reporters shifted uncomfortably but none made to leave. Tony watched with frustration as the receptionist only barely noticed the situation, calling over the phone for something. Hopefully fucking security. 

“Is he staying with you then Mr. Stark?” someone asked. Tony hesitated, looking down at Peter as he kept as still as possible. Would it be safe to give any details away? On the other hand, if he let some things out, the crowd might be more apt to leave in peace. 

“Yeah, he is.” Tony responded. A dozen more bright flashes, something that he would never really get used to. 

The lady who seemed like the main journalist tilted her head at them, looking at Peter's back before staring at Tony. 

“He's the same child from before though, right Mr. Stark?” she asked. Tony glared at her, shielding Peter more. 

“If you're talking about when I was babysitting him, then you're right.” he said stiffly. Tony nodded with relief once he saw security guards making their way over to the reporters and photographers, intent on making them leave. 

“Okay, break it up people!” one of them shouted, waving his arms to disperse the crowd. “This is a hospital, not a red carpet!” 

The crowd grumbled, some leaving quickly while others lingered. The lady glanced behind her quickly before turning and speaking to them one final time. 

“Will you be adopting him if the family friend doesn't get better?” 

He didn't even have time to respond before she was forced away with a sharp reprimand. He opened his mouth, maybe to answer the question before thinking better. It wasn't their business anyways. 

“Sorry about that Mr. Stark sir,” one of the officers said. “They shouldn't have gotten into the hospital in the first place.” 

“Yeah, probably.” Tony sighed as they walked away to stand watch at the entrance. Peter tilted his face up, eyes wide as he silently asked him if it was okay to stop hiding. He nodded at the boy, nudging him over as Peter untangled himself and sat besides Tony again. 

They sat silently for a few minutes, neither mentioning what had happened. Tony had assumed that Peter knew it would happen someday - but neither had expected it so soon.

"You can go see May Parker now,” the receptionist called out suddenly. “Her room is the first on the right, down that hallway.” she pointed to a hallway directly across from where they were sat. 

Peter sprang up, nervous energy evident in the way his hands encircled each other. He took a step towards the hallway, changed his mind and took a step backwards. 

“I'm still scared Tony,” he whispered, but took the step again towards the hallway as Tony stood up. “But I wanna see her.” 

Tony smiled down at him, one hand running through Peter's hair. “It's okay to be scared, remember?” Peter nodded, more confident as they made their way towards the room.

“Mr. Parker, Mr. Stark!” the doctor inside the room called out before they fully made their way in front of it. She came out, smiling at both of them. 

“I'm so happy you've come,” she said. “Especially you Peter.” 

“Me too,” the boy nodded nervously. “I really wanna see her.” 

“Well come on in.” she gestured to the room. “I’d also be happy to answer any questions while you're here.” she disappeared inside again, leaving them outside.

Peter hesitated, looking up at Tony. He looked a bit frustrated, as if he couldn't tell what he wanted. Or as if he did, but didn't want to be rude. 

Oh. 

What if he didn't want Tony to come in with him? What if Peter was gearing up to say goodbye in his own way? Tony wasn't going to take that away from the boy. 

“Do you want me to go in with you?” Tony whispered to Peter. The boy stood still, contemplating his choices. 

“No,” he said finally. “I wanna talk to her by myself.” 

Tony nodded, one final reassuring hand on his shoulder before he gestured for Peter to follow the doctor into May’s room. 

He watched the boy hesitantly enter the room, making sure he wouldn't break down right there before retiring back to the lobby. 

It would be hard to wait, but Tony would follow whatever Peter wanted to do. 

~~~~ 

Tony really wished Peter had let him come with him. 

It had felt like hours, when it reality it had barely been one when the boy came out of the room. 

Tony sat up straighter immediately, ready to see a sniffling or even fully crying child approach him. But as the boy got closer he frowned in confusion as to what he was seeing. 

Peter was...he was beaming? 

“Hi Peter.” Tony said once the kid was fully in front of him. He wanted to ask him what he was so happy about, to demand what had happened. Had May somehow miraculously woken up? There was no way - the doctor had basically said the first night that she would never wake up. What had changed? 

“Hi Tony,” Peter kept smiling, glancing back at the doctor who stood in May’s doorway and waved to her. “We can go now.” 

“You sure?” Tony asked. “You don't wanna stay any longer?” 

“I'm good Tony, we can go.” Peter looked more relaxed even, some of the pent up tension he had been carrying around with him getting dropped. Somehow it worried Tony even more. 

“Okay,” Tony said, letting the matter go for the moment. “If you're sure.” 

“I'm sure.” Peter replied, already making his way out of the lobby. Tony picked up his pace to catch up with the child, keeping a worried eye on him. How had Peter changed so quickly? What had happened that in the room with his Aunt May that had changed Peter from crying and anxious to smiling and light? 

Did he think she was going to get better? Tony hoped not. He hated being the one to give him bad news, but Peter had obviously changed his mind about something, and it didn't seem like it was anything but May. 

But seeing Peter so happy, Tony resolved to talk to him about it later. He would just let the kid breathe a little, let him be happy about whatever it was that had made him that way. He would get around talking about May with Peter eventually. 

Maybe. 

~~~~

It had been a bit longer than week after Peter came to stay with Tony that he officially met DareDevil. 

Peter hadn’t been back to school yet, which the boy hadn't seemed to mind in the beginning. But Tony noticed the kid getting antsy, spending his days watching tv and sleeping mostly. It made Tony feel slightly guilty, the fact that he kept Peter cooped inside. 

But really, it was what was safest, right? What if the kid had a breakdown at school and Tony wasn't called? What if something happened to May and Peter didn't get to her fast enough to say a final goodbye? 

And now that news outlets had reported on Peter as the mysterious family friend's kid that Tony was looking after, he was the center of a media firestorm. Everyone wanted to know what his name was, wanted clearer footage of him, wanted to know who was in hospital that they were visiting. The public had especially lost their shit in Tony's opinion, debating whether Tony was a fit guardian and what was in store for the boy's future. 

It pissed Tony off, honestly. It wasn't like Peter's life was mindless fucking entertainment for them. And if they found out Peter’s name, they could track down his aunt and his school - they could learn everything about him. And considering how many die-hard Iron Man fans there were, it wasn't like Tony was worrying over nothing. 

So no, Peter hadn't been in school for a week. He had talked with Ned and Michelle over the phone and computer a few times, there were even plans in the works for a meet up (playdate, Ned and Peter had said seriously, which was adorable to Tony) for the kids, but not for at least a couple more days. 

That didn't mean Peter was happy with the arrangement though. 

“If I can't go to school, can we at least see my friend? The only other thing I wanna do is watch the Star Wars marathon that's on today.” Peter complained. He was sulking on the couch, listlessly flipping through the channels. 

“Kid, I'm telling you - I'll make sure that you see Ned and MJ soon, okay? And we can watch that together tonight. I'll even try and follow the storyline.” Tony said. 

“I know that Tony! I mean my other friend, the adult one.” Peter threw the remote down in despair, ignoring what he had said about the movie. Tony frowned but didn't reprimand him, at least not yet. It didn't seem exactly fair to tell the kid not to do that while he had just barely seen his aunt in the hospital. 

“I don't think that's a good idea Petey,” Tony said. In all reality, he really just didn't want to see DareDevil again. “It's only been a couple of days, I'm sure he can wait -” 

“Tony _please_ ,” Peter begged. “I haven't - I know that you're doing the right thing but I haven't done anything but watch tv all week, and I can't go out as SpiderMan anymore and I can't go to school and I can’t see my friends so please, let me see him?” 

In an instant, he felt like shit. What had felt like the right thing - what was the right thing, Tony corrected himself - had also inadvertently locked Peter up inside the only floor in the Tower that Tony allowed the boy on. 

“And I'm probably keeping you from your work, right? You're gonna have to work hard to catch up when Aunt May -” Peter broke off the sentence, letting the words remain unsaid. 

“Wait, Peter - you don't think that May is going to - that she's going to be able to take care of you, do you?” Tony asked. He was more than just a little concerned by the boy's sudden change of attitude from his first day. 

“It’s not important right now,” Peter insisted, although he deflated a little. “I really really just want to see my friend.” 

“If I say yes, we talk later okay?” Tony said. Peter bit his lip, eyebrows knit together. He nodded slowly after a second. 

“Okay, fine fine. I'm coming with you though okay?” Tony rolled his eyes at the kid's protests. “No, none of that. You aren't seeing a grown man by yourself, alright?” 

“But I went to Germany with you the day after meeting you,” Peter said with a head tilt. “Does that count?”

“No, because that's me. And I am definitely more trustworthy than whoever this man is.” Tony said back. He hoped it was true, because if Matt informed the kid that they had met, then they were going to have problems. More specifically, Peter was going to have problems with Tony. 

“You're so grumpy Tony,” Peter smiled at him, albeit a bit shaky. “I told you being cooped up wasn't good.” 

“I'm not grumpy. And you know that I don't mind being home with you right? In fact, I would rather just do that. The cellphone and other technology are just marvelous when it comes to running a business Peter.” Tony said.

Because it was true, Tony hadn't been to any meetings or other shit he was sure he was supposed to be at for some time. But that was what Rhodey was for, right? The man didn't know why he was filling in for him, but he didn't seem to mind and only questioned him occasionally. Tony knew eventually he would have to truly introduce him to Peter then, and wait for the man to berate him for not trusting him earlier - and then insist on helping raise the kid.

Yeah, telling Rhodey could wait. 

“Can we go now?” Peter begged. It broke Tony away from his thoughts, taking the moment to frown at the question. “It's his day off - I mean he usually goes into work anyways but it's also our day to meet so he might be home! Please?” 

Tony sighed as Peter widened his eyes, pulling off a very convincing innocent act. Puppy dog eyes or something like that. Why didn't anyone tell Tony that you always seem to give in when your kid does that to you? It was unfair. 

“Okay, fine.” Tony gave in, rolling his eyes but still smiling at the slight cheer that Peter let out. “Let's go meet this mystery hero.” 

“His fake name is Daredevil, actually.” Peter told him. Tony's smile turned into a grimace as he realized something. What if the man told Peter that Tony and him had already met, that he had broken the kid's trust? He was sure there would be more than hell to pay for a slight like that. 

“Oh, I might've heard of him.” Tony said vaguely. 

~~~~

They had gotten there quite fast, Peter giving directions that Tony already knew. The boy also filled him in on information about DareDevil that he already knew, but he tried his hardest to make his reactions seem genuine. 

“So he's blind, but he's a superhero? That's a smart choice.” Tony huffed out once they had reached the apartment building. He already knew which floor and which unit was Matt's, but let Peter lead him there anyways. 

“That's not very nice.” Peter chided him. “Mr. Murdock is really really good at what he does.” They were standing outside of his apartment then, Peter having knocked on it moments ago. Tony shifted from foot to foot, trying to let go of his nerves. 

The door opened then, the same way that he remembered - and then a man that Tony had seen before stood before them. Matt tilted his head, taking in the sounds in front of him. 

“Hi Mr. Murdock,” Peter said. “It's me and my - my guardian.” Tony forced himself to not wonder what Peter had been about to say. 

“Hello Peter.” Matt stooped low enough to pull the boy into a one armed hug, short enough for Tony to allow it. Then he turned, seeming to look at him through the sunglasses he seemed to wear perpetually. 

Tony's stomach dropped, heart ramping up for the tense seconds that followed. If the man revealed to Peter that Tony had actually already been to see Matt, he was sure it would hurt the boy, astronomically. 

“And who's this guardian you speak of?” 

Tony wanted to let out a sigh of pure relief, but instead shrugged and let Peter introduce him. 

“This is Mr. Stark, but I call him Tony.” Peter gestured to him, even though Matt would have no way of seeing it. “And Tony, this is Mr. Murdock.” 

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark.” Matt said, purposefully raising his arm higher than where Tony could comfortably shake it. He glared but took his hand anyways, arm at an awkward angle. 

“Yeah sure, you too.” he grumbled. Peter bit his lip, looking back and forth between the two men. 

“Is there any reason you wanted to see me Peter?” Matt asked then, and the boy's face fell momentarily. Tony nodded to Peter, encouraging him to speak. 

“Yeah, something big happened Mr. Murdock.” Peter said after a moment. “Can we come in and talk?” 

~~~~ 

To Tony's surprise, Peter hadn't cried while he recounted the bare bones of what had happened to Matt. 

He kept a mainly straight face, only crumpling a few times before regaining his composure and continuing his story. He also admitted to the man that Tony knew he was DareDevil and how Peter had been Spiderman (Spiderkid) - emphasis on had. 

Matt nodded and responded, giving no indication that he knew beforehand. Tony had to admit, it was impressive. After a couple of awkward moments once Peter was done telling his story Tony had wandered around the apartment again. He could hear Matt and Peter chatting quietly on the couch, making sure to keep a watch on them just in case. 

It really was amazing, the way the lights shined into the space. He could see why anyone who came to Matt's place would be easily impressed by it. 

“And the heartbeat is usually the main indicator, but not the only one. Can you hear mine? See how it sounds steady? Imagine it rushing.” 

Tony turned around at the words, his eyebrows knit together. What the fuck had Matt just said about heartbeats? Why was he telling that to Peter? 

“And there's also verbal cues sometimes, the hitching of their breath can indicate a lie. Not always though, sometimes they just may be emotional.” Tony trailed closer, watching as Peter nodded intently at Matt. He smiled slightly seeing the boy look so serious and focused, but was still pretty fucking confused. 

“The most important thing to remember is that you never know for certain. But you can bluff usually, catch someone in a lie when you don't actually know if they're lying or not.” Matt concluded. 

“Excuse me, are you teaching Peter how to spot a liar?” Tony asked. Matt and Peter both turned to him, only one having the decency to blush. The other smiled at his general direction, which yes - was still very much creepy. 

“It's not an exact science Mr. Stark,” Matt said, emphasizing the exact. “I'm just teaching him some clues. His senses are heightened enough so he can hear heartbeats, so who's to say he can't learn a thing or two about that?” 

Tony snorted but sat down anyways, wrapping one arm around Peter and raising an eyebrow at him. The boy giggled and raised his too, an imitation that was pretty damn good if you asked Tony. 

“Okay then sir,” Tony mocked the man. “Let's see if you can tell if I'm lying.”

Matt smiled at them, one that Tony thought would be a lot meaner if Peter hasn't been sitting right next to him. 

“Tell me something then.” Matt said, before focusing his attention on Peter. “Listen to his heartbeat and his breathing. Remember that there is some guessing, right? All we need is a good guess and some luck.” Peter nodded rapidly, face determined as he concentrated. 

“Okay.” Tony said as he thought. What was a good enough lie that it wasn't obviously false but wasn't true either? If he was just letting Peter try he would've made it known he was kidding, but something in him wanted to best DareDevil. Maybe it was a superhero thing, always having to outdo each other. Or maybe it was a Stark thing. Yeah, it was probably a Stark thing. 

“I have never had surgery in my life,” Tony finally decided on. “Except for the Arc Reactor. But other than that, none.” He knew it was kind of lame to go for a trick question, but when Matt frowned at him it filled Tony with some smug sense of being right - and that was all that mattered. 

“That's not fair,” he complained. “It's way too general and specific, all at the same time. How did you even do that?” 

“Hey, you said anything, I'm telling you anything! Right Peter?” Tony defended himself, grinning down at the kid. 

“He's right Mr. Murdock, you did say anything!” Peter smiled back at Tony, wide enough for him to see all his teeth. 

“Goddamnit.” Matt sighed, acting more upset than he actually was. What was it about Peter that made grown adults act like fools for his amusement? Tony didn't know, but it was extremely entertaining when he wasn't the one being a fool. 

“I'll go with no.” 

“Wrong!” Tony crowed. “I broke my arm as a kid and needed surgery!” He put his hand up for Peter to high five. The boy reciprocated enthusiastically, slapping it with so much that Tony felt it reverberate throughout his arm. Probably not the best idea to let a superhuman child slap any part of your body, huh? 

“You two planned this,” Matt accused them. “You two planned this and I fell for your tricks.” 

“No we didn't!” Peter cried out, almost vibrating with energy. He grinned wider, something Tony didn't even know was possible. “Tony's just too smart for you!” 

“Good one kid,” Tony said, hand up for another high five. “Put it here.” 

He realized his mistake a moment later. 

~~~~

It was shaping up to be a very very long day for Tony Stark. 

Tony had been ready to leave for awhile, but after Peter drained his energy to the point of apparently requiring an “emergency nap”, he conceded to let the kid rest a little. 

But really, who's idea had it been to even allow the kid to run and jump all over the apartment, especially the ceiling? Matt had declared an end to his lesson with Peter, which Tony was pretty sure was because he was a sore loser. So instead, Peter had taken to showing off his abilities for the men. 

Tony had watched Peter in horror, shouts of “Be careful!” and “If you fall and get hurt I won't feel sorry!” echoing throughout the apartment (which actually wasn't true, Tony would feel goddamn awful if the kid fell - which is why he had frantically followed Peter's every movement with arms out in case he magically unstuck himself). 

And so after the kid declared himself exhausted and rolled onto Matt's bed, to the amusement of the lawyer but ire of Tony - he promptly fell asleep. 

“Geez, he's gonna be the death of me.” Tony muttered. He stood watch over Peter, watching his chest rise and fall. 

“Probably not the best choice of words,” Matt responded smoothly. “Considering the situation.” 

“Oh shit,” Tony winced. He really had to be more careful around the kid. “Good thing he's sleeping?” 

Matt huffed out a bit of laughter from his place on the couch. “You're welcome, by the way. For not telling Peter about our delightful first visit.” 

“Yeah yeah,” Tony dismissed the dig. “How'd you even know that?” 

“Your heart. It sped up immensely when I greeted Peter.” 

“Bullshit, that's just a party trick. Now Peter's gonna accuse me of lying every time get worried. And trust me, I'm always worried around him.” 

Matt didn't respond, instead just clicking his tongue. Tony stared back down at Peter, watching for any signs of a night terror. When he found none he sighed and turned away, dragging a hand through his hair. 

God, there was a lot of shit to figure out. Peter going back to school - did he have his school bag? What would he need? Tony had most of the kid's stuff sent over from his old apartment, but what if something had been left behind? And what about the media? Would the kids at his school know about Tony? They would question Peter, that was for sure. And his friends, Tony had promised to let the kid meet up with his friends at least. 

God damn, taking care of a kid was exhausting. 

“Have you looked into any adoption lawyers yet Mr. Stark?” Matt asked him suddenly. It startled him from his thoughts of school and friends. 

“No,” Tony admitted after a beat. “I don't wanna rush things. I'm not sure if Peter thinks May can get better - like what if he thinks this is just some extended visit? I don't wanna freak him out.” 

“I don't think he thinks that.” Matt said. He peered backwards in the general direction of Tony as if he could see him. It still fucking creeped him out, how Matt could do that. 

“I think he understands that May isn't going to get better,” he continued. “Peter's not blind.” Matt smiled at his own joke and Tony rolled his eyes. There were only so many blind jokes you could find funny until they were dreaded. 

“Just because he gets that doesn't mean he accepts it.” Tony countered. He took a seat across from Matt, making sure he kept his eyes on the sleeping Peter. Tony wished he could fall asleep anywhere like that too. 

“That's true,” Matt conceded, shrugging his shoulders. “But something tells me that he's already past the denial stage of grief. Hell, I'm not sure he even went through it. You have to remember Tony, he was there when May had her first heart attack. He was the one who saw it.” 

“Just because he's not showing that he's in denial doesn't mean he's not.” Tony argued. Because yeah, Peter had been suspiciously happy if you asked Tony. Could the boy just be moving on with his life really incredibly fucking well? Maybe. But it hadn't even been more than a full week since May was rushed to the hospital, and even though Peter had thought she was dead didn't mean he backtracked. 

Maybe it had been a bad idea to bring Peter to the hospital. 

“I think the doctor was too hopeful to him,” Tony admitted. “She didn't want him to be upset. I mean I don't want him to be either but he deserves the truth at least. And the truth is, May isn't getting better. She's gonna die.” 

“Which is exactly why you should be looking into adoption, Tony.” Matt said. “Eventually her will is going to be read, and if someone else is named his guardian you'll have to take it to court. And then what? Who will a court choose, Tony? It's better to show your dedication now.” 

“Maybe.” 

“Not maybe! Yes, it is better.” 

“Okay sure, whatever you say.” Tony said dismissively. “But it's not fair to go any further without talking to Peter about it. Besides, why are you pushing it? I would've thought you'd want Peter yourself.” 

“Yikes papa bear, back it up.” Matt said dryly. “Me and Peter, we don't have your same type of relationship. I just mainly made sure he didn't get hurt too bad back in Queens. He's a stubborn kid, you know? I was shocked when he told me he was giving up Spiderman for a bit.” 

“I maybe sorta blackmailed him a bit,” Tony admitted. “But it was a good cause. So that's why you never tried to stop him? Because he's stubborn? Sorry, but that's a shitty excuse.” 

“It is. But I didn't know his real identity, so I didn't exactly have much leverage over that aspect of his life. The first time he even told me his name was when he asked me to look after Queens.” 

“And yet you knew he was a kid?” Tony asked.

"Didn't you know he was a kid when you brought him to that big fight?” 

“That was different. I only wanted him to do one thing for me but he rushed off into the action without me! If I had known he would be so stupid I wouldn't have brought him.” Tony glared at Matt, even though he knew that the man couldn't actually see it. He hoped he at least sensed it. 

“Okay Tony, I believe you. We both made mistakes with Peter, okay? Me more than you.” Matt conceded. 

“You're goddamn right about that.” Tony responded. It had gotten tense enough to the point that he was ready to leave, to drag Peter out of the bed and haul him into the car. 

“Time to go again?” Matt said softly after a beat. Tony bit his lip, getting up to wake Peter up. 

“Yep, because this just got too awkward for me. I usually prefer when my arguments end in bed or with the other person admitting defeat.” Tony kept his tone light, not wanting to fully scare the man off. If he was important to Peter, he would try and keep communication open. 

Matt chuckled, standing up also. “Unfortunately neither of those will happen. Turns out I'm stubborn too.” 

“Why does Peter always have to choose the ones like us? It's like he gravitates towards the stubborn superhero dad type.” Tony asked. He shook Peter's shoulder carefully, rolling his eyes slightly when he groaned. 

“Because we're always so charming,” Matt grinned as Peter groaned and opened one eye. “Especially with each other.” 

“Hey Petey, time to go home. You still wanna watch your movie, right?” he ignored Matt, instead intent on getting them out of the apartment. 

“Yeah, I do.” Peter mumbled, letting Tony help him off of the bed. He blinked a couple of times, brushing the hair out his face. 

“Thanks for letting us come over Mr. Murdock,” Peter said sincerely as they made their way out of the apartment. “I'm glad we came.” 

“I'm glad you did too,” Matt smiled and knelt down, giving the kid a loose hug. Tony told himself to not get jealous, because that wouldn't help anything. Probably. “I look forward to our next meeting.” 

“Mhm, me too! Soon, I hope.” Peter grinned at Tony, eyes crinkling with mischief. Tony smiled back at him, gesturing for the child to keep moving. “Okay, I'll see you later!” 

“Yes, bye Peter.” Matt said back. “And you too, Tony. Have a good night.” 

“Yep, bye.” Tony grumbled, ushering Peter out of the apartment. He turned back once, opening his mouth for one final barb at the man, but Matt beat him to speaking. 

“Just discuss it, okay?” Tony frowned, and then frowned some more when he realized what Matt was talking about. “Tonight. Just do it.” 

“Fine fine,” he said dismissively. “Bye.” Matt nodded in their direction, almost looking like he was giving Tony a pointed look before shutting the door behind them. 

“What was that about?” Peter asked. 

“Nothing.” Tony forced a smile on his face, even as it dawned on him what he had agreed to do. No way in hell the kid was ready for that conversation yet. 

“Now let's get home, okay?” 

~~~~

It was going to be a catastrophe, Tony was sure of it.

For one, he got flustered easy when trying to gentle around the kid. Second, he was sure Peter wasn't ready to talk about adoption. And third, he had a sneaking suspicion that Peter had convinced himself that May would get better, if his sudden attitude change told Tony anything. 

They had gotten back to the Tower relatively fast, Tony going just a bit over the speed limit. He wasn't sure if it was a bad habit he had picked up from Happy or if Happy had picked it up from him. Probably both. 

Once they were let in and he had parked he ushered himself and the kid into the elevator, pressed the button for the right floor and didn't speak. He didn't trust himself to say anything at the moment. 

It was probably for the best. The boy was chattering excitedly, all sorts of interesting facts about Star Wars that any other time Tony would be listening intently to, but he honestly had too much going on to focus much. He nodded vaguely when it seemed appropriate.

Peter seemed to sense the nervousness radiating off of Tony, letting his sentences trail off and glancing up at the man with his own nervous expression. Great, just what he wanted - to scare the kid before they even talked. The elevator opened too slow for him, wanting nothing more than to just sit down. 

God, what had Tony let himself get talked into? He knew it really was for the best but that didn't mean he was happy about it. 

Peter got out first, one last nervous glance at him before he stepped into the floor - Tony following right behind him. 

Once they were in the living room, Tony sat on the couch. Peter hovered close by, having stopped talking altogether due to what he assumed were nerves. He took a deep breath, patting the space next to him before speaking.

“Can we talk now kiddo?” Tony asked. Peter turned to him, face pinched with confusion and nerves. He nodded uneasily, taking a seat on the couch. 

“We need to talk about May,” he said the words slowly, in order not to scare Peter away. “And about what's going to happen.” 

“Okay?” Peter sounded unsure of himself, head cocked to one side as he thought. “What about it?” 

“We should - we need to discuss our next steps.” Tony stumbled over his words, delaying the inevitable. How do you just tell a kid you care so much about that hey, your aunt is brain dead! She's not getting better, now cry and scream about it! 

“Okay, what are they?” Peter squirmed, half looking at Tony and half looking behind him. Tony knew he was probably making the kid uncomfortable with his beating around the bush, but it was a hard subject to talk about. 

“When I lost my parents, it devastated me. Even though I wasn't particularly close to them, I didn't really have anyone there to look after me anymore - or anyone to make sure I was doing okay.” Tony finally decided on. “I just think that we should talk about how you're feeling about Aunt May. I know you said that you wanted to stay here, and if you were serious about that I want to start looking into adoption, Peter.” 

Tony watched the child with anticipation, heart sinking when he watched all emotions seem to switch off of Peter's face. God fucking damn it, he knew it was too soon to discuss shit with Peter, yet he let himself get carried away by Matt. 

“Peter? Can you tell me how you feel about that?” Tony asked. Peter ignored him for a moment, head hung low. 

“I thought she was getting better?” Peter said it like it was a question, a statement that Tony could confirm or deny. He lifted his head then, face already red and eyes welling with tears. 

“Oh kiddo…she -” Tony winced as he thought of what to say. What could he say? “She's not going to get better.” 

“But the doctor made it seem like she could!” Peter argued, his voice getting higher and higher. A few tears had trickled down one of his cheeks but no others escaped yet. 

“First off, take a deep breath.” Tony said, nodding at the boy as he did so. “I don't want to hurt your feelings Peter, or make you sad, but Aunt May isn't going to make it.” As soon as the words escaped his mouth Tony wished he could take them back. 

“Why would you say that?” Peter gasped, face screwing up as he tried to stop more tears from falling. “Why do we have to talk about this? I thought - I thought -” the boy stopped talking, instead taking another deep breath. 

“What did you think? Talk to me, please Peter.” Tony begged. He moved closer to the boy, one hand on his shoulder. Peter moved closer, letting Tony wrap an arm around him. 

“I thought she was going to get better! It feels like it's been a long time since she - she went into a coma. Sometimes people wake up, I thought she was gonna wake up!” Peter was sobbing then, large gasping cries that jerked his frame back and forth. Tony pulled the boy closer, wrapping both arms around him now. 

“That's a perfectly reasonable thing to think Peter,” he reassured him. “Trust me, if I could do anything more I would be. The only reason I brought this up is because I wanted to make sure that you would be okay with me talking to some lawyers about adoption.”

“I don't wanna be adopted,” Peter sobbed. “I wanna be with Aunt May!” 

“I know, I know kiddo,” Tony said. He ignored the way his heart hurt when Peter said that, because it didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was the crying child in his arms. “But we gotta at least start thinking about it.” 

“I just don't want her to die Tony,” Peter said, face pressed against his shoulder. “I miss her so much it hurts.” 

“Then talk to me about it,” Tony said. “I'm always here to talk about anything and try to help.” Peter paused for a moment, taking another gulp of air before he untangled himself from Tony. 

“I didn't want you to feel bad,” the boy admitted. “But I can't stop thinking about her, all the time. I can't - I can't get over her.” 

“Listen kid, I don't expect you to just get over what happened with your aunt.” Tony said. “But before you've said that you wanted to stay with me right?”

Peter nodded, wiping at his eyes. “I do want to Tony,” he said. “I just thought…” he deflated, what little control he had mastered over his emotions disappearing. 

“I thought I had been wrong,” Peter was crying again, but not the same hysterical sobs that he had been doling out all week. Now he sounded hopeless, crying for what had been realized. “I thought maybe she was getting better! I thought she was gonna wake up Tony, I was so sure!” 

“Okay kiddo, it's okay.” Tony mumbled, pulling the boy into another hug. It was odd, how affectionate he found himself being to the boy. Tony had never been particularly affectionate, hadn't grown up in a household where he was held and coddled, as Howard would say - but he discovered with Peter that he wasn't his father. 

“It's not that I don't wanna be adopted by you,” Peter hiccuped. He had buried his face back between Tony's shoulder and neck, face tilted up for the man to be able to hear him. “It's hard to think about though.” 

“Let's give it a rest then, okay?” Tony conceded. “We can talk about it again later.” 

“I'll think about it hard, I promise.” Peter said as Tony let him go. He gave him a watery smile, the first Tony had seen since their conversation. A few tears still streamed down his cheeks, but these now more of an afterthought. “As long as you think about me going to school.” 

“Deal,” Tony said. He changed the subject, not ready to go any further down that road at the moment. “Now didn't you tell me you wanted to watch some sort of nerd movie? Star Wars? Isn't that the one where they boldly go and use the force because they're wizards?” 

Peter faked groaned, letting his smile get a bit wider. “I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear those words. That was so wrong it almost hurt. I've gotta tell Ned you said that!” 

“Yeah, you do that.” Tony raised an eyebrow at the boy. “Go ahead and call him, get ready in your room. I specifically remember getting you some of those nerd pajamas to show all that pride.” 

“Thanks Tony,” and now Peter was back to no smile, but not crying. “For everything, really.” 

“No problem kiddo,” Tony said quietly. “You know that I’d do anything for you, right?” 

“I know.” Peter smiled again, looking just a touch sad. He turned then, Tony watching the kid until he was fully in his room. 

Well, that had been a shitshow. Tony knew it was too early, way too fucking early to spring adoption on the kid. Besides, with the media attention now all hungry for a piece of the mystery child in his life, any mention of adoption would undoubtedly find its way to everyone. And then Peter would be under even more scrutiny and then he would get mad at Tony for not letting him go to school and then everything would be even more shitty than it already was. 

Tony was giving himself a headache even just thinking about it, and the fact that even though all his fears were entirely founded, he would go through with it anyways. 

Well, not quite yet. There was still just a piece of unfinished business that Tony was curious about. And even though he was one of the most powerful and rich men in the world, he did admit that going through all the proper hoops for what he needed was probably the right idea, especially with adoption definitely in his future. 

Good thing he knew just the lawyer - sorry, defense attorney - for the job. 

Tony grit his teeth as he called the number FRIDAY had supplied for him, the agency where Matt worked. It would be much easier just to call the man up himself, but something told Tony that Matt would call that crossing a line. And when you're calling in a favor you don't deserve, it's best to not cross any lines. 

The line rang for a few beats, already annoying the hell out of him. Matt had said he would be going in, even though it was a day off. If he had changed his mind, Tony might just cross a line. 

But no, thankfully someone picked up. 

“You've reached Murdock and Nelson, how can I help you?” a man who was decidedly not Matt but probably Nelson answered the line. 

“Um, hi. I need to speak to Matt?” Tony asked, tapping his foot impatiently. “It’s pretty important.” 

“Oh yeah, he just got in. Can I ask who's calling?” 

“Tony Stark. Tell the asshole to get on the line as soon as possible, okay?” Tony really wasn't trying to be a jerk, but he was frustrated. Mainly with himself, but also with Matt. It just felt better to blame someone else for his blunder with Peter. 

“Oh - oh my God, yeah of course!” the man stuttered. “I'll transfer you right now!” 

“Thanks.” 

Tony waited in bated anticipation for a few moments, rolling his eyes with the amount of time it took. He wouldn't be surprised if the man was purposely delaying the call just to mess with him. 

Finally, Matt picked up. 

“This is Mr. Murdock, how can I help you?” Apparently whoever had first answered hadn't bothered to tell the man who had been calling. 

“Yeah, hi Matt. It's me.” Tony said impatiently. 

“Oh, Tony. Miss me already?” 

“Oh yes, I'm really missing all your charm and wit. That's specifically why I called you! God, no wonder you became a lawyer, with all that intelligence you have!” Tony said. He knew he was being salty, but fuck it. He wasn't feeling very nice today. 

“I take it Peter wasn't fond of the adoption idea.” Matt said dryly. 

“Told you you were intelligent! Yeah, that was a total shitshow, kid probably hates my guts now, so thanks for that advice. But that's not why I called you either.” 

“Tony, he doesn't hate you. You're being dramatic -” 

“If you continue that sentence I will buy your building and convert it into a McDonald's,” Tony threatened. “And then hire you as the manager.” 

“I'm - okay, point taken?” Matt sounded confused. Okay, it wasn't Tony's best insult but he made it up on the fly. “So what do you need?” 

“Can you get me a copy of May Parker’s will?” Tony asked. The man on the other end paused, but only for a second. He probably hadn't been expecting such a turn in their conversation, but Tony wasn't anything but surprising. 

“Well, she's not deceased yet. But I bet I could find out who's the executor, assuming she chose a lawyer,” Matt said after thinking. “Peter's only twelve, so I won't even look into whether he is or not, which leaves lawyer.” 

“So you can?” Tony asked again. 

“I probably can.” Matt confirmed. “Although I thought I told you to start the adoption process before looking at the will.”

“Hey, I'm just taking a precaution!” Tony defended himself. “See who I'm going up against, and all that!” 

“Okay okay, I'll look into it. Let me call you back in a bit, I'll let you know when I've got some progress.” 

“Thanks Matt,” Tony said. Yes, it did almost hurt to say that. “I appreciate it.” 

“No problem Tony.” 

“Okay, I gotta go.” 

“Wait - one more thing!” Matt called out, right as he went to hang up. 

“What?” 

“Don't call this number again, unless you want Foggy to be ringing you all hours. Trust me, he will.” and with that, the man hung up. 

“Douche,” Tony mumbled, although he didn't mean it. In reality, the man had been nothing but kind and courteous to Tony and Peter. That didn't mean he had to like him all that much though. At best, Tony would say Matt was on level with your child's best friends parent. You know you'll be spending some time with them, so you might as well be friends right? The only added twist was the superhero thing, really. And the fact that there was only one kid. 

Okay, so it wasn't really anything like that. 

Tony sighed, ready to charge his phone and ignore it for awhile, watch a movie with Peter and spend the rest of the day with him. But as he went to do so, his phone began to ring. 

Which was strange, since Tony rarely got calls on his personal phone. Really only the Avengers had the number and a select few others, none of who he could think would be calling him at the moment. 

He clicked the screen, eyes widening before narrowing as he read the screen as it continued to ring. 

A blocked number. How the fuck did a blocked number get Tony’s personal number? 

He contemplated letting it ring out, but curiosity got the better of him. With a hesitant finger, Tony accepted the call and brought it to his ear. 

“Who is this and how did you get this number?” Tony demanded, before whoever was on the other side could speak. Hey, sometimes it was better to go on the offensive.

"Hello? You know during a phone call usually both people speak.” Tony said after no one spoke back. 

Another pause. 

Tony almost went to hang up, to find a way to trace the number and give hell to whoever was there. But something inside of him told Tony to just hold on a moment longer, and so he did. 

“Tony.” the voice on the other end said finally, and he fucking froze. 

No way. 

No goddamn way. 

“Tony? Are you there?” Steve asked, and holy shit it was him, it was actually Steve Fucking Rogers on the other end of the phone. Tony didn't know whether to burst into furious tears or scream. Maybe both. 

“Oh hey Steve, how you been? Enjoying your vacation? I know I am - wait, except I'm not since the whole world is basically a shitshow right now.” Tony knew he was rambling, that the barbs in his words were too shaky for the other man to take them to heart the way Tony wanted him to. 

“Tony, we - we've got a problem.” And Tony wanted to cackle. So this was why Steve had finally decided to call him, some type of issue that Captain America and his rogue squad couldn't handle. And of course now it was Tony's problem too, because he would have to get them all out of their mess, like he always did. 

“What, did your human popsicle murder some more parents?” Tony asked. The anger was back in his voice then, because how could it not be? This man - this bastard - had no right to ask anything of him. 

“Please Tony, I know you're angry,” Steve pleaded. “But I have a situation that I need your help with. Everyone is here, we all need your help.”

“Well isn't this a funny situation,” Tony ignored the obvious pain in Steve's voice at how hurt Tony was. “After almost everyone turns their backs on me all of the sudden you expect me to care! Almost makes a man forget about how who could have arguably be called his best friend sided with the man who uh, killed his parents? I won't even mention how you tried to kill me with a fucking shield.”

“I wasn't trying to kill you Tony, I was -” Steve sighed as he caught himself. “That's not important right now though. What's important is that -” 

“Oh now wait a minute! I think it's extremely important!” 

“Well can we discuss that later then? There's a situation happening that I need you for!” Steve really did sound desperate, more desperate than Tony had heard in awhile. It softened him only slightly, and only because it was Steve. 

“You know what? I think I would be more apt to listen to your complaints if you apologized.” 

“What? Tony this is not a joke! This is serious, it's not loo -” 

“Oh, so this situation is more important than two words? Stone fucking cold Steve.” 

“Okay, okay look I'm sor -” 

“Tony?” Tony jerked back from the apology he was hearing at the new voice. 

He whirled around at the voice to see Peter with one foot in the living room and one in the hallway. He was hovering, face tilted and confused as he watched the man yell and scoff into the phone for God knows how long. The kid had changed into his pajamas, only a bit too big. At least Tony was getting better at guessing sizes. 

“Hey kiddo,” Tony said, forcing his voice to be more mellow and soft. “What can I do for you?” 

“Wait, is someone else there?” Steve asked and Tony ignored him, waiting for the boy to respond. 

“My - my movie, the first Star Wars? It's on now and I was wondering if you still wanted to watch it with me?” Peter's voice went higher at the end, brows drawing together with nervousness as he worried on his bottom lip. 

“Of course we can.” Tony answered holding one finger up at the child, who visibly relaxed. “Just let me finish this call.”

“Who's there Tony? Is that a kid?” 

“Listen, I don't have time for you right now.” Tony began, feeling satisfied at the way the other man sputtered out his questions. “How about we talk about this tomorrow, yeah? I don't think you're quite in any position to be making demands just yet.” 

“Tony, I need your help. The Avengers - we all need to -” 

“Yeah, bye. Call me back tomorrow!” Tony cut the man off, flipping the phone down to end the call. 

He turned to Peter and rolled his eyes, making the boy giggle. “Turn the tv on bug, let's see who is really the bigger nerd.” he said. Peter scrambled to the couch, grabbing the remote triumphantly as Tony pretended to swipe for it. 

“Okay, let's see this.” Tony declared, settling on the couch with Peter curled up next to him. He was glad for the tiny moments, where for maybe just a few minutes the boy would forget what had happened with his aunt and would act like a regular child again. 

Tony knew by the way the boy smiled at him and eased against him that Peter wasn't upset with him. It was hard for Tony to really remember sometimes how young he was, that Peter wasn't a hardened crime fighter like himself or the rest of the fractured Avengers. He still had hope - and Tony had maybe inadvertently shattered some of them when he brought up Aunt May’s condition. 

But it was for the best, right? Peter was twelve - he needed someone to take care of him with May out of the picture now. And if it wasn't Tony, who would it be? Matt? He had no doubt that the man would try, but with his rapidly expanding business and nights spent as DareDevil, Tony doubted that Peter would get as much attention as Matt would want to give him. For now, what Tony really needed that will. 

If he could see it - see who, if anyone was named as Peter's guardian then Tony could plan his next steps. Because if someone wasn't written there, he would immediately start the adoption process. And if someone was? Tony would challenge it. If there was someone else written there, they hadn't been there for Peter. They hadn't been a parent to the boy even while his aunt was alive. 

No, it had to be - 

“Tony!” Peter gasped then, forcing the man away from his thoughts. He turned, smiling slightly for Peter's sake, before it was wiped when he saw what was playing on the channel that the tv had turned onto. 

“With Captain America and several other of the fallen Avengers having been spotted in Scotland, they have sworn to surrender to local authorities if the United States was to negotiate for them.” Wait what? Did that really just fucking come out of his tv? 

“Oh my gosh,” Peter breathed out, head swiveling between the tv and Tony. “What's happening?” 

“On second thought Peter,” Tony said. His stomach had dropped, leaving a nauseous pit. He heard his phone ring, and knew whoever was on the other end was not going to be happy with him for hanging up on Steve. “I gotta take a phone call.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is honestly such trash but its my trash so


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Peter connect with old friends, separately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AP testing really kicked my ass this week guys. I have about -87% patience so I honestly thought I was going to cry by the end? That's also part of the reason why this chapter was such trash, tbh I wrote most of this tonight. Its like 5000 words right? I wrote about 4000 tonight lol. 
> 
> REALLY IMPORTANT ALSO!! so this chapter just isn't really the quality I feel the other 3 have been unfortunatlely :/ so what I'm proposing, is that instead of going forth with chapter 5 I can rewrite and add more to this chapter! Of course, if people don't want that I won't do it. If you have an opinion on what I should do, please indicate in the comments bc if no one has a clear opinion I'll probably just write parts of chapter 5 and release it a bit later than normal.,

Peter wondered sometimes if Mr. Murdock made it out okay. 

He hoped he did, so much that it hurt to think about the man. There is nothing more that Peter hoped for (besides for everything that had happened to just have been a nightmare,) than for him to be okay. He just wanted to see him again, to see his half smile and get a one armed hug as he knelt down. 

Peter explained it to Tony once, motions almost as heavy as the words he could taste in his mouth. The sorrow and fear soaked through and emerged from his hands, so heavy that he was surprised to see that they're dry. Tony stared at him, mouth turned down, eyebrows creased and worry in his eyes as Peter finished. 

_Why didn't you say anything before?_ Tony signed to him with a similar weight. _If I had known we would have searched harder. I would've made sure we searched harder._ Peter contemplated the words he can't hear and it's like a ringing in his ears except he can't hear it, he can't hear anything but he can see Tony's face. It looked worried, lines increasing the longer his hands are still at his side's. 

_It was too much,_ he signed after much deliberation. _I was scared. I wanted to leave with you and be safe, I wasn't thinking of anyone else._ Just signing the words give Peter some comfort, that in a few moments he would be back in the farmhouse and Tony would wrap his arms around him, tracing patterns on his shoulders through the layers of cloth, where he can stare at Bruce or Natasha or someone just reading quietly. 

_I'm sorry though kiddo._ Tony's face wasn't as worried anymore but he looked regretful, making sure that Peter was looking him straight in the face. _It wasn't your responsibility to try and gather people, it was mine._

_I know. But it still feels like it._

_It will get better someday Peter, I promise._

_I know dad._

~~~~  
_Before_

The plan was simple, but Tony knew Peter would fight it. 

When he thought about it, it made sense to him. Tony would go alone to Scotland - to help negotiate, as all the government officials and federal agents, plus a whole lot more credentialed people that he should probably know the name of that had been non stop calling him for the past 7 hours had said - and when it seemed like the coast was clear, Peter and Happy would fly over. 

Tony even got into contact with Ned’s mother, asking (begging) her to take the boy in just for a couple of days. Thankfully she had agreed immediately, because if she hasn't Tony might've had to send Peter to Matt's. And that was something that he really didn't want to do. It was bad enough the man was as smug and confident as Tony, but if Peter only had access to two men like that who knew how the boy would turn out? 

He would’ve been fine with Happy just occasionally checking up on the boy, except for the part where everyone kinda knew about Peter and that Tony would be gone. What if someone decided to try and break into the tower and Peter got hurt? He wouldn't have been able to live with himself. 

And then, after making sure this whole operation was legit (because Tony was nothing if not paranoid) Tony would have Peter and Happy flown to Scotland to join him. 

Yes, in Tony's head the plan was foolproof. But the look on Peter's face when he finished going through the details with him told Tony the boy didn't exactly agree. 

“No!” 

Peter didn't so much yell the word as say it louder than usual, face screwed up as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. 

“I thought you wanted to see Ned and go to school, work with me Peter!” Tony begged the boy. He watched helplessly as Peter began to cry, breath hitching as he continued. 

“I did, but not without you!” Peter said. “If you have to go to Scotland, I wanna go too!” 

“I want you to come too Peter, but what if this is ploy? What if something goes wrong? There's way too many unknowns right now kid.” Tony explained, but he could tell his words with getting him nowhere. 

“But it isn't fair! You woke me up and just sprang this on me Tony. I'm scared and worried and I don't want you to fly! What if the plane crashes? And I never see you again? Why do you have to go?” the boy was hyperventilating then, sobs cutting off any air he might have been able to get. 

Tony felt like a jerk instantly. He knew about Peter's parents - how they died in a plane crash, and yet he was still insensitive enough to bring up his own flight? And ask Peter to fly later? 

He knew Berlin had been different, the kid had probably been caught up in all of the excitement that the fight brought with it. But this time, it was scary circumstances. Tony got that, he felt it too. 

“Peter, the plane isn't going to crash. I promise you that. And you will see me again, because you'll join me in a few days, right? Please Petey, just take a deep breath.” Peter followed his instruction, taking a deep shuddering breath and closing his eyes tight for a moment. 

“Ms. Leeds is going to look after you for a couple of days Peter. You'll go to school with Ned and MJ, and I'll be in contact every day. I know that I'm springing this on you out of the blue, but if this isn't taken care of now it will probably get way more out of hand.” Tony explained to the boy. He had drawn the boy in at some point, his arms wrapped tight around the boy as he slowly stopped crying. 

“And then I'll come with you?” Peter asked, drawing back to look at Tony. 

“Of course kiddo.” Tony promised. “I just gotta make sure that everything is safe.” 

“Okay,” Peter sniffed. “I don't really like it but it makes sense.” 

“That's life kiddo,” Tony smiled at the boy as he rolled his eyes at him. “Just a bunch of crap that makes sense but you don't really like. And sometimes it doesn't even make sense.” 

“When are we going to Ned’s?” Peter asked, changing the subject. 

“Ummm….now. Happy is down with the car once we get down there.” 

“What?” Peter cried out, more annoyed than upset. “It's too soon Tony, I can't even prepare to go there. I haven't even packed yet, and we have to go now!” 

“I had Happy pack your stuff, it's all already in the car.” Tony said dismissively. The boy blinked at him and seemed ready to question him, but changed his mind and merely shook his head. 

“I can't believe you have to go today,” Peter said instead. “He only called yesterday.” 

“That's what happens when you're an internationally known superhero,” Tony told him. “Makes you thankful you were a friendly neighborhood Spiderkid, huh?” 

“Spiderman, Tony! I'm twelve!” Peter protested, even as he smiled at the man. They began to walk towards the elevator, not having exactly found a middle ground or called a truce but gotten as close as they probably ever would. 

“Exactly Peter,” Tony winked at the kid. “Now let's get in the car, okay? This is probably gonna be a quick drop off.” 

~~~~

When Happy pulled up to the curb outside of Ned’s house, Tony had fifteen minutes to drop Peter and be back in the car to make his flight. Which was never going to happen but it was always nice to have a timeframe, he guessed.

Ms. Leeds opened the door before either Tony or Peter could knock, smiling politely at them as they deposited four heavy suitcases full of Peter's stuff into her house. 

She didn't seem flustered or confused as to why Tony was even taking care of Peter, having probably gotten some version of the story from Ned. But it did strike him as a little bit odd that the fact that Tony himself didn't seem like a big deal to her. 

Was Tony a little taken aback that so many new people in his life had not been instantly flustered and/or enamored that he was Tony Stark? No, of course not. Well, only a bit and it was only because he was so well known. That wasn't vain, was it? 

Okay, yes. Tony was just a hint vain, and he had good reason to be. 

But with Ms. Leeds he was just grateful for how calmly she had taken his pleas, listening to his story before agreeing to house Peter for a few days. Honestly, if someone had called Tony at around four in the morning and begged them to take a kid in, he would say no.  
Except for the fact that he had already gone through that and said yes, for Peter. Maybe it was just a Peter thing then, who knew. 

“Ms. Leeds, thank you again for looking after Peter,” Tony said to the women. “On such short notice and all.” 

“No problem Mr. Stark, Peter is always welcome here.” she said. Peter perked up as Ned came to the door, waving them both in with excitement. 

“Dude, this is so cool! You're gonna have to be bottom bunk though, sorry.” Ned said. Peter groaned but continued to smile, just happy to see his friend after such a long time. Tony watched him with fondness at the way that the kid got so animated. 

“This should only be a few days,” Tony explained to Ms. Leeds. “I'll call you again later sometime to confirm when I'll pick him back up.” 

“We'll keep him for as long as needed Mr. Stark,” she said. “He's like a son to me.” Tony nodded at the words, feeling a bit guilty that he never thought of getting in contact with her before last night. She clearly cared deeply for Peter, enough to take the boy in for days at a time. 

He cleared his throat, looking at the time on his watch. Just a few minutes before Happy would have to drive him to where he would board the plane - because of course it wouldn't be in airport. That was just a bit too mainstream for government officials. 

“Mind if I talk to Peter just for a minute? I have to rush out, go take care of official business.” Tony forced a grin on his face at the words, not wanting to worry anybody. 

It would be hard enough most likely to keep Peter's current whereabouts a secret, but if he scared Ms. Leeds she might accidentally let it spill that Tony had told her something, and then it would just become a huge mess where everyone collectively found out Peter's whole identity which Tony could accept was going to happen, but it was a little early for that. 

“Of course.” she nodded before beckoning to Ned. “Ned, help bring Peter's bags in, alright? Don't complain!” Ned rolled his eyes but smiled at Peter as he brought a bag in.

Tony dragged Peter behind him as they started to move his stuff into Ned’s room, far enough away that they could talk at a reasonable volume without being overheard. 

“I've got to go soon.” Tony said simply. “I'm not gonna lie kiddo, this mess with Steve is probably going to get ugly.” 

“I wanna go with you!” Peter whispered the words with as much intensity as he could muster, eyes watering slightly. 

“And you will, right? We'll see how many days that is soon. Don't look at me that way Peter, you know that if I could, you would be with me the whole time.” Tony admonished the boy as he crossed his arms and glared at him. 

“Ned’s gonna make me sleep on the bottom bunk,” he hissed, even as a smile started to settle on his face. “I don't like bottom bunk!” 

“Oh poor you,” Tony rolled his eyes. “You get to sleep over at your friends house and hang out with him for days. Poor, poor Peter.” 

“I'd rather be with you,” Peter complained again. “But I trust you. You'll be really safe, right Tony? And you'll call me?” 

“Of course kid, whenever I can. You have your old clunky phone right?” Tony grinned as Peter pulled it out of his pocket, flashing it at him before putting it away. 

“God, you need a new one. That's the first thing we'll do together when we get back, alright? We'll get a good phone for you.” Peter nodded, smiling slightly at the thought. 

“Speaking of which, I've got something else for you. Any guesses?” 

“Um, I don't know. A backpack?” Tony laughed at the guess, shaking his head no. “I dunno! Something cool though.” 

“It definitely is cool, at least I would say.” 

“What is it? Can I have it now?” Peter asked.

“Now, before I give this to you, you're gonna promise to only use it for life or death situations, right?” Tony said the words carefully, nodding slowly when he saw Peter break out into a huge grin at his guess.

“Oh my gosh, my suit! My suit my suit my suit!” Peter seemed to be forcing himself to be quieter, bouncing on his feet. “Where is it? Can I see it?” 

“Not now, okay?” Tony ruffled Peter's hair as he slumped over. “It's at the bottom of your blue suitcase.” 

“Thank you Tony!” Peter said, smile huge as he thought of what awaited him. 

“The suit is for emergency only, you know that right?” Tony stressed the words, face serious. 

“Yeah, totally!” Peter said, eyes wide and face innocent as he continued to smile at Tony. “I'm just excited that it's there!” 

“Well that's reassuring.” Tony joked. “Just be safe, okay kiddo? Seriously - emergencies only.” Peter nodded this time, seeming to sense that he really wanted confirmation that Peter wouldn't do anything dumb with it. 

“Peter, how are you feeling so far?” Tony asked then, taking advantage of the slightly more somber mood. Because really, if he was 100% sure that everything in Scotland was going to be safe. The one thing that Tony would never do ever again was bring Peter into a situation that he knew would be unsafe.

“It just feels like everything is moving really fast. You only got that phone call yesterday and now you already have to leave?” Peter frowned, although Tony was glad to see that he wasn't on the verge of tears. 

“I get that kid. But this is a real emergency right? Everyone just wants this whole situation done and over with as soon as possible, so that we can get back to what matters.” Tony stressed the matters, pointing at himself and then Peter. “Yeah, it's a bad time for this to happen but at least we can get it under control.” 

“I just wish I could come right now. I went with you to Berlin, remember?” Tony cringed at the memory, because yes, he did remember. He remembered Peter sobbing and getting hurt. 

“I was dumb back then, and it shouldn't have happened. This time I'm being more careful right? Just trust me Petey, everything is gonna work out.” 

“You know I trust you Tony,” Peter said. “I just wish there was another way.” 

“Me too kiddo.” Tony grimaced and checked his watch, realizing that he was about to be late for his flight. That was the problem of having a kid, you're always running late for everything. 

“Listen, I gotta go Peter okay? I'll call you as soon as I can.” He stooped down, pulling the boy into a tight hug before pulling back slightly. “Be good and stuff, like you always are. Don't do anything I would do but also don't do anything I wouldn't. There's a little grey area in between.” 

“Like a Venn diagram.” Peter said solemnly. 

“That's incredibly nerdy, but also right. Good job!” Peter cracked a smile at the joke, leaning into Tony's hand as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“I love you kiddo,” Tony said quieter, standing up and turning to leave. “I'll call you soon, okay?” 

“Love you too Tony.” Peter whispered the words, barely loud enough for Tony to hear. “See you later.” 

Tony nodded, one last wave before he said his quick goodbyes and thanks to Ms. Leeds before practically running out the door and sliding into the car on the curb. 

“You're gonna be late if we drive like the law wants us to.” Happy sighed, looking at Tony through the mirror. 

“Oh c'mon Happy,” Tony said. “When do you ever drive that way?” 

~~~~

The flight was hell, waiting was hell and Scotland was most definitely a special type of hell. 

Tony hadn't been able to sleep or relax the whole flight. Instead he had spent his time listening to the many government officials who had insisted on coming with him. They droned on and on about customs, strategies and a bunch of other shit that Tony honestly couldn't even remember. 

He had mostly been thinking about Peter, about how he was supposed to call the boy when he landed but how he had instead been rushed through to some town where the population definitely didn't rise over 5000 and no one had probably even heard the name Tony Stark, if that was possible. 

Apparently, everyone had thought it would be a magnificent fucking idea to cram all the rogue Avengers into some little police station to be as, one diplomat had put it, “as inconspicuous as possible”. Which was pretty much impossible, especially when you crammed a town that was used to about two police officers with droves of federal agents. 

So there he was, jet lagged and in real fucking need of a good few hours of sleep - crammed in a one story police station with about seventeen other people, not including the elusive Avengers. 

Tony had sat there, barely listening as one of the agents explained to him that all Tony had to do was “talk to Steve, see what he wants and what we can do,” blah blah blah and some other boring shit. 

Honestly, it was a conundrum in the first place why they thought him of all people would be able to talk to Steve. Did know one remember the actual fucking civil war that had taken place in the Avengers? Or did they assume that Tony and Steve had been on the same side? 

And then they gave him a moment to breathe, leaned up against the wall in a narrow hallway, one door at the end that Tony just knew held Steve by the way everyone kept glancing at it. 

It was odd to think that just a few steps away was the one man that made Tony want to run closer and further away at the same time. 

Tony sighed at his own admittedly melodramatic thoughts, taking a moment just to breathe before flipping his phone open and punching in a number that he had long memorized before. 

It barely rang before Peter picked up, one short burst of noise before it faded away to the boys voice. 

“Tony, hi! How are you? Are you in Scotland now? Can I come yet?” 

“Slow your roll kid,” Tony said, grinning at the questions. “First, I'm fine. Yes, I'm in Scotland now and before you ask, yes the accents are funny. And no, not yet. I'm working on that okay? And stop pouting, I can tell that you're pouting.” 

“No you can't!” Peter giggled even though he was definitely pouting. “You're just a good guesser.” 

“Okay, maybe that too.” Tony admitted. “Are you set to go to school tomorrow? Happy said he'll bring you to the hospital after if you want to see May.” 

“That'd be nice, yeah.” Peter said, voice softer then. “I wish you were here. I really like being with Ned and everything, I mean he's my best friend - but I wish I was with you.” 

“Me too kiddo. Trust me, Scotland isn't all it cracked up to be.” The joke landed poorly, neither of them laughing at it. 

“I miss you.” 

Peter sounded solemn, not as childish as Tony would have thought. The words had a weight to them that he thought children shouldn't know, yet Peter obviously did. 

“I miss you too kiddo. Hopefully this will blow over in the next couple of days.” Tony said, even though he was 99% sure that there was no way in hell that the situation could be solved in a couple of days. 

“And if it doesn't? Will you stay there without me? You promised to have me come. When?” 

“Look, I'm gonna make a promise to you Peter. Are you listening closely?” Tony asked the boy, even though he knew he was.

“Mhm, what is it?” Peter replied almost instantly. 

“In four days, if this isn't solved I'll fly you and Happy over here. How does that sound?” Tony heard the boy sigh, breathing quietly as he thought over his options. 

“How about in two days? I hate being bottom bunk Tony.” Peter asked. He chuckled at the complaint, imagining the boy glaring up at the bunk above him. 

“Three, and I'll make Steve say that you're way cooler than him.” Tony countered. He grinned when Peter giggled over his proposal, half muffled by the tinny quality from Peter's phone. Which reminded Tony, the kid needed a much better one. 

“Deal! I have to go now Tony, bedtime was half an hour ago,” Peter whispered the last part, fearful of being caught by Ms. Leeds. “But you'll call me tomorrow right? Before I go to school?” 

“Of course kiddo. Eight for you, right?” Tony asked. Peter let out a noise of affirmation. “Okay then. Sleep well Petey, love you.” 

“Love you too Tony, bye!” 

And with that the boy hung up, leaving Tony alone in the cramped hallway. God, why did they pick a fucking police station? Didn't they know who they were dealing with? Steve and the others weren't regular criminals - if they really wanted to leave, they just would. 

Which begs the question, what were they waiting for?

~~~~

Tony was bored out of his mind. How long had it been since anyone had told him anything? It felt like at least two hours. How long did it take to make sure Steve was good to go? Was he some sort of diva now? For some reason, Tony really doubted that. 

After what seemed like years to Tony, far longer than anyone should ever have to suffer in his opinion, an officer opened the door at the end of the hallway and looked up at Tony. 

“Just let me call the captain Mr. Stark, and then you can go right in.” 

“Sure, sounds fun.” Tony rolled his eyes at the words, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the man to be done his conversation. 

God, it was weird how not nervous Tony was feeling. He knew theoretically he should be, but something about fighting with Peter and then immediately dropping him off, then flying for around eight hours, only to have to wait an additional couple of hours really just sucked all the tension out of the whole Steve situation for him. 

“Mr. Stark?” the officer had called to him, gesturing towards the room. Tony blinked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before looking back at him. “You can go in now.” 

Well, so much for not being nervous. Now he felt like someone had punched him in the gut before setting fire to his insides. Not an entirely pleasant feeling, admittedly. 

“Great.” Tony muttered as he walked closer, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him. Geez, it wasn't like he was about to meet one of his oldest friends who betrayed him was it? 

Oh wait, that was exactly what was about to happen. 

But he soldiered on anyways, nodding at the officer as he held the door open and trying not to fucking gasp for air and run out of the building. 

He didn't want to be there. Didn't want to be in Scotland, didn't want to talk to Steve, didn't want to be there alone. And more than anything, Tony wanted Peter with him. 

Peter. 

How was he, right then? Sleeping, supposedly - but if Tony had learned anything from his time with the boy, it was that children follow their own schedules, regardless of what rules you put in place. Or maybe Tony had taught that to him, that it didn't matter who was telling you what, that they were wrong and he was right. 

He sort of hoped Peter had learned that from him, to be strong and vulnerable and do what he wanted for himself. 

Jesus, was Tony really stalling for time by thinking about Peter's personality? He knew he missed him but it was sort of ridiculous just how much the boy was on his mind. 

Banishing any other thoughts of Peter or what else he had left behind, Tony entered the room and shut the door behind him. 

~~~~ 

Steve had a fucking beard. 

Tony knew that it was definitely not the most important aspect of what was about to go down, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from it. Was that his idea of a disguise? Did Steve really think he could fool people with that? 

And honestly, the man didn't look any different. He looked just as calm, just as strong and protective and just looking exactly like Steve would. It didn't sit well with Tony, that the man didn't look like he had fell apart the same way he had. 

Maybe it really had been Tony's fault, a fight brought on by his own insecurities and complexes. Maybe it was Tony who was wrong and broken. 

Neither of them spoke for a moment, Tony almost stumbling back to grab the door, turn the handle and walk out. But instead he moved forward with as much confidence as he could muster, to the table that Steve sat at. There was a chair across from him, one clearly meant for Tony. 

He sat in it and stared at Steve, waiting for the man to speak first. He stared back at first too, not with the defiance that Tony remembered. He looked sad and introspective actually, which Tony didn't like one fucking bit. He didn't have a right to seem so right while he sat right across from him, looking like he was the one called in to counsel Tony and not the other way around. Eventually the man cleared his throat and spoke up.

“Tony.” 

“Steve.” 

Their words were brief, even though Tony had so much more to say. He wanted to scream at the man, ask him what was so difficult about Tony that they couldn't have made it work, what had he done wrong? 

What had Tony done wrong to drive so many people away? 

Steve's face changed looking at him, the stoic and guarded expression becoming softer. He looked lost to Tony, as if he had no idea had to navigate the waters between the two of them. 

“It's good to see you,” Steve managed finally. “Even if the circumstances are - difficult.” 

“Yeah, that's not gonna cut it.” Tony said, watching Steve bite his lip. “But I'm just gonna let it go for now.” 

“That's a first.” Steve mumbled. Tony was surprised that the words managed to force a laugh from him, a couple peals before he remembered that he and Steve were enemies. Petty, but Tony was anything but. 

“Anyways, tell me about what this mess is. Apparently I'm here to, give you counsel.” Tony mocked the words with air quotes. Steve smiled uneasily at it. He was trying to be light, trying to let the history between them go for just a moment so he could hear him out, but it was difficult for Tony when it seemed like all that Steve could think about was their history. 

“Alright, fine. You said that there was something the Avengers had to do, so spit it out.” Tony snapped at the man. Steve bit his lip again, hard enough that Tony was worried he was gonna fucking puncture himself. 

“We found something - something dangerous. Something that could threaten existence itself Tony.” Steve said the words carefully, guarding what he actually wanted to say. It grated Tony further, because he had not left Peter alone to listen to Steve dance around the bush. 

“Oh, and then you just happened to be caught? While something super duper dangerous runs around? Sounds like you're making shit up Cap.” 

“What?” Steve sounded confused, as if he had been speaking a different language. Tony was trying really hard not to be completely pissed off, but it was definitely taxing. 

“Cut the bullshit Steve. We both know you're just making some dangerous shit because you got caught with your pants down! I didn't fly here without Peter to hear a bunch of ghost stories. Just tell me what kind of trouble you're in!” 

“Wait - who's Peter?” Steve asked, before putting his hands up in mock surrender. “Sorry, not relevant. What are you talking about though Tony? You make it sound like we were caught.” 

“What the fuck are you on, Steve?” Tony demanded. “You got caught because of your shitty disguises and now you're trying to get out of trouble. Or are you disagreeing?” 

“I am.” Steve said, brows knit together. “Tony, we didn't get caught. You know that we would've gotten out of here if that was the case - you know that.” 

“What is it then, Steve?” Tony asked. “How do you explain why I'm here at this very moment?” 

“Tony,” Steve said slowly. “We surrendered ourselves.” 

Tony almost choked on air, the mere sentence enough to constrict his lungs. Steve Rogers, who was practically being called a war criminal turned himself and his trusty gang in? Steve alone, Tony might have been able to stomach. But the others - there was no way the man sat in front of him would have allowed that. 

“Why would you do that?” Tony said finally, trying not to allow any weakness to enter his voice. Which it did, judging by Steve's concerned face. 

“Because there's a serious threat to humanity, Tony. We need your help. We need everyone's help with this, as many hero's as possible.” Steve bit his lip again, finally succeeding in making himself bleed. 

Tony wanted to fight about it. He wanted to scream and yell and maybe even throw a few punches at the man seated across from him. How could this happen? How could their history seem so irrelevant, that their past was nothing? That now that Steve had finally shown his face that they didn't need to discuss the Accords, the fight or any other shit that had gone down? 

But if there really was a threat so big that even Steve Rogers was sure that he couldn't deal with it without the help of everyone he could muster, then maybe their history was just that, at least for the time. History. Because maybe, if there was just a slight chance that whatever Steve was talking about could threaten him this much, it could threaten Peter. 

And Tony would do everything he could to protect Peter, even banish his own emotions and force himself to work with the man who he was sure had wanted to kill him at one point. 

“Well then,” Tony finally managed after a moment. “You better tell me what the threat is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway through the AP test I couldn't get the way Batman says Tony Zucco in The Batman animated series out of my head it was just not very good


End file.
